


Lanterns in the Dark

by Tartarun



Category: Naruto
Genre: Gen, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-11-30
Updated: 2015-01-14
Packaged: 2018-02-27 13:43:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 20,868
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2695148
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tartarun/pseuds/Tartarun
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Naruto doesn't know how he got in the past or even why. But what he does know is that he won't let the same tragedies act out again, and he'll get on the case as soon as he can shake off his incredibly observant sensei and figure out how and when things started going wrong.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Lighting the wick

**Author's Note:**

> This is me seeing if I can write a time travel fic where Naruto isn’t super with a few weeks training and he has to work hard all over again. I don’t own Naruto but hey I’ll start work on that project in a few weeks. Reviews make me happy! And more inclined to write! *hint hint. Seriously though I’d appreciate any criticisms you can give to make the story better.

Steel chimed off steel in a shower of sparks. Naruto came to his senses just as a shuriken cut into the tree he was standing on and scrambled away before he lost a limb. What was going on? And why didn’t he sense it coming before? He landed on a branch on a tree nearby and subconsciously tried to apply chakra to stick to it. Instead he gained a new appreciation of exploding tags as the wood underneath his sandals exploded with the force of a small bomb as he was sent crashing down onto the forest floor. Ok forest, he was in Konoha then. Nowhere else had the same mokuton enhanced trees. Voices cut in his thinking time, loud and furious.

“You saw those eyes earlier…those were the eyes of a demon.”

What? Why did that voice sound so familiar? He hadn’t heard that derogatory tone towards him for a while now. He pushed himself to his feet and crept towards the voices all the time trying to be stealthy. It was harder than he thought but he managed pretty well. A coppery scent was in the air; blood, he’d recognise that smell anywhere.

“Naruto…isn’t like that!”

Iruka sensei? Naruto was completely baffled at this point. Oh this must be a genjutsu to knock him off his senses. Funny…Kurama usually broke all the genjutsus put on him, speaking of which. Where was the troublesome fox?

Hello? A deep rumbling growl reverberated through his stomach. Okay he was in a bad mood, best to leave him but that told Naruto it wasn’t a genjutsu, Bee had told him as long as a Jinchuuriki could hear his biju and was friends with them, a genjutsu could not hold, he had tuned out to the explanation of why later on.

“Well, that doesn’t really matter. I’ll kill Naruto…and get the scroll. I’ll take care of you later.”

Oh someone was trying to kill him. He tried hard to be surprised, he really did but all he could feel was exasperation. He had other things to be worrying about than some wannabe assassin. If not genjutsu then what? Tsukuyomi? He was sure he’d remember running across Itachi, hold on didn’t he die? Ehhh. Where was his assassin anyway? He couldn’t be very good if they hadn’t noticed Naruto eaves dropping on them. Oh where did Iruka sensei go? Damn his senses had deteriorated.

Time for Naruto to be reckless, he fondly imagined Sakura’s imaginary reaction and leapt off to where he could hear a taijutsu brawl. Damn Iruka sensei wasn’t bad at taijutsu in his head. It was his new theory, he was hallucinating.

Iruka ducked under Mebruki’s punch before using his momentum against him to hurl him into a tree. Mebruki? Mizuki? Oh yeah Mizuki. Mizuki retaliated by drawing kunai and the two chunin had brawl too fast for Naruto’s straining eyes to follow. Then Mizuki leapt away after he started losing ground. Iruka quickly henged into Naruto to his shock and started crashing around in the trees. Really? I thought Iruka sensei thought of me like that? I didn’t think I thought so badly of myself Naruto sulked slightly. Then another Iruka burst through the trees and called to Iruka henged as Naruto.

“Hurry! Pass me the scroll, Mizuki is after it!” Iruka must be amused as hell Naruto thought idly as henged Iruka kicked fake Iruka so hard he created a small crater in a tree. Nice sensei!

“Why Naruto? How did you know I wasn’t Iruka?” Mizuki dropped his henge. A foxy grin spread over henged Iruka’s face and he dropped it.

“I’m Iruka!!” Mizuki smirked in appreciation at the ploy, “I see…Hehehe you’d even transform into what killed your parents to protect him?”

His hallucination was eerily accurate and detailed Naruto noticed with a frown.

“I won’t hand the scroll over to an idiot like you!”

“You’re the idiot. Naruto and I are the same.” Naruto hadn’t realised how much of an idiot Mizuki was until that line and he had to work to suppress a snort. The same? Please.

Iruka looked confused, “The same?”

“If you use the skills in that scroll. You can do whatever you want.” Also not true Naruto noted.

“There’s no way that demon fox wouldn’t try to use the power. Unlike what you’re assuming…” …Why would Kurama even need Kage Bunshin, Edo Tensei and other forbidden jutsu? He could cause tsunamis with a flick of his tail. Human jutsus are beneath me he had told Naruto haughtily once.

“Yeah…” Wow he thought Iruka sensei thought that about Biju. He’d have to check after the war.

“The demon fox would do that.” No he really wouldn’t. “…But Naruto is different.” Wrong way around sensei, it’s Kurama who won’t use forbidden jutsu, him on the other hand? Forbidden wasn’t a word in his dictionary.

“He is… I’ve acknowledged him as…one of my excellent students. He may not be the hardest worker and he’s clumsy so nobody accepts him.”

Naruto was a bit indignant at that. They didn’t accept him because of the Kyuubi not because of his clumsiness!

He already knows what it is to feel pain in your heart. He isn’t the demon fox anymore…”

He never was the demon fox! He shivered imagining Kurama’s reaction being mistaken for him.

“He is a member of the hidden Leaf Village, he’s…Uzumaki Naruto!” He felt the first sentimental tear come to his eye, Iruka was really sweet when he wasn’t butchering facts.

Mizuki gritted his teeth, “Ok whatever…Iruka I said I would take care of you later, but I’m changing my mind. Hurry up and die!”

When had he interfered in the original happenings? Oh yeah now! He didn’t feel like watching Iruka sensei die in his head. He kicked Mizuki out of his path with a well-aimed kick Sasuke would be proud of. He saw Iruka’s stunned expression from the corner of his eye and felt a little smug.

“You should not have done that...” Mizuki snarled from where he lay. He shouldn’t have done a lot of things, so he just shrugged off the comment.

“Don’t touch Iruka sensei or I’ll kill you.” He told the downed Mizuki calmly. It was his efficient delivery of the line that shocked the two chunin. For a brief instance they saw the Fourth Ninja war reflected in his blue eyes but the moment passed.

“You idiot!! Why did you come out?! Run away!” Iruka yelled.

“Shut up!! Punk like you, I’ll kill in one shot!” Mizuki laughed gleefully.

“Try it trash!! I’ll return the pain a thousand times over!!” Naruto thought about his next move. While spamming clones was fun, it didn’t always get the job done. It was a hallucination anyway, who cared about graduation criteria?

Mizuki smirked, “Then let me hold you on the same pedestal you do me! Naruto prepare to die in front of your precious sensei!” This hadn’t happened last time! The hallucination wasn’t drawing from his memories? But it felt so real!

Mizuki pulled out several kunai and sent them whizzing towards Naruto. Kage kunai no jutsu!

Iruka’s eyes widened knowing the lethality of that jutsu and he tried to move to protect Naruto with a groan. A hundred kunai raced at Naruto who felt his head clear of any distractions. He wove the seals quickly and efficiently.

Kawarimi.

Thunk!

The sound of a hundred kunai hitting their target reached Iruka’s ears.

“Naruto!!” he yelled in desperation.

Mizuki’s smirk froze as he toppled over like a broken marionette in front of Iruka with his flak jacket peppered with bloody kunai. His glassy eyes stared back at Iruka’s disbelievingly before a light flickered out. Iruka stared speechless. Kawarimi with a live being was difficult, especially at that distance. Naruto had now truly mastered both henge and Kawarimi. It was a good plan too he noted absentmindedly in the ninja part of his brain before his teacher part took over and started screaming about Naruto killing someone so early in his career. What if Naruto was jaded forever? What if he lost his smile? What if-

“Ah sorry sensei, the ANBU won’t be able to interrogate him now.” Naruto looked sheepish as he scratched his head by Mizuki’s corpse. On second thoughts Naruto would be fine.

Iruka smiled, “Naruto, come over here. There’s something I want to give you.” He closed his eyes trustingly. This was Iruka after all. He felt a cool piece of cloth slide over his forehead and he opened his eyes.

“Congratulations…on graduating. Let’s celebrate!! I’ll buy you a bowl of ramen.” Iruka’s scar crinkled as he smiled.

“But sensei…I still can’t do a bunshin.” Iruka tapped his nose, “You don’t need the bunshin to become a ninja. That plan you pulled off is worthy of a field promotion to genin and anyway there are more useful versions of bunshin you can pick up from your jonin sensei.”

Like Kage Bunshin Naruto thought slyly. He hugged his sensei around the ribs as hard as he could just because he hadn’t been able to do it for a while before dragging Iruka back screaming about ramen. Now he had a good excuse to look for any irregularities in his hallucination. He was beginning to doubt it was one, he’d find out by the ramen flavour. No one could mimic Ichiraku’s ramen!

………………………………………………..

The next day he sat in front of his photographer with an incredibly fake smile which became more teeth than smile as the photographer took his sweet time. The ramen had been perfect. His apartment had been perfect. Everything had been perfect. Every single book he checked made sense, every single person he talked to matched their personalities. It wasn’t a hallucination. No hallucination was that accurate. He hadn’t even known some of the stuff he found out but since they fit in with his other knowledge he assumed it was true and not his mind making things up.

“Hey, you sure you want to look like that?”

“Yes.” He hissed out of patience.

“Fine. Don’t regret it. OK, cheese!!”

CLICK. Finally!

“…” The Hokage stared at his ninja registration. He looked up to stare at Naruto who grinned cheekily back.

“….?” There was a distinct questioning note to his silence now.

“Like it Jiji? It took me forever to do it!”

“It’s unique.” The Hokage allowed. “Retake it!”

“Why????”

“Because it doesn’t look a thing like you!”

“That was the point! I’m never going to be a super awesome ninja if someone kills me before I get good! That way no one can know who I am!” Naruto wailed. He was having fun trolling whatever and whoever was happening.

“You’re meant to trust your own village.” The Hokage puffed on his pipe dryly. “How will your Jonin sensei know about you? Or any future captains?”

“…Look underneath the underneath?” Naruto offered sheepishly. The Hokage smirked minutely at that.

“Well you’re thinking like a ninja at last I suppose.” The Hokage looked down at the picture. Stiff red hair framed a face which was pale white with no scars whatsoever. There was dark eyeliner around the grey eyes with a blue streak across the lips. It didn’t look a thing like Naruto.

“Henge?”

“Of course Jiji!”

“Why red hair?”

“Uzumaki’s have red hair dattebayo! I thought I’d pay homage!” Naruto’s eyes twinkled mischievously. The Hokage stiffened slightly but let it go. He opened his mouth to say more but then the door creaked open and a boy younger than Naruto burst in screaming.

“Old man!! Fight me!!” He waved a steel shuriken before promptly tripping on his scarf and thankfully not landing on the weapon. A darkly dressed Jonin burst into the room seconds later as the Hokage sighed and gazed upwards for patience.

“Damn it!! Who set a trap?!” The boy cried rubbing his head. Konohamaru Naruto thought fondly. His apprentice in all but name. Wow he was a brat at this age.

“Are you alright? And there isn’t a trap anywhere!!” The Jonin barked, Ebisu Naruto thought it was. He wasn’t so bad, he had tried to defend Naruto’s location with his life once. He looked at the contempt veiled on Ebisu’s face and inwardly sighed, why couldn’t the people have their after Pain invasion personalities, why did…they….fit…the relative…timeframe…? His thoughts trailed off in horror. Time travel????

“I knew it! You did something!” Konohamaru yelled at Naruto who was too much in shock to hear him properly.

“Huh you say something?” he blurted out on instinct. The Hokage and Ebisu sweat dropped. Kakashi’s already influencing his future student without ever having met him the Hokage thought dryly, should he take this as they were meant to be teacher and student or ban Kakashi from reading porn around Naruto?

“You tripped me!!” Konohamaru shrieked in Naruto’s face who snapped out of it to glare back.

“Listen idiot. If I wanted to trip you there would be more of a humiliation involved on your part, Understand?”

“Don’t talk to the Hokage’s grandson like that!” Ebisu yelled. Would Ebisu have been his teacher is people knew he was the Fourth’s son Naruto thought randomly? 

“I’ll talk to him how he deserves!” Naruto shot back at Ebisu before flicking Konohamaru hard in the forehead and walking out.

Later when he was furiously discussing the possibilities of time travel in his head he noticed Konohamaru following him incredibly obviously. He lived through a damn war, kind of, he had pretty good instincts by now. Thankfully they had transferred over even if his ability to react to his instincts was lacking. If it was time travel he wanted to make his first disciple inclined to be his disciple. 

“You’re not fooling anyone! What are you doing?!” He yelled at Konohamaru, his heart panging as he remembered how close the two of them had been.

“Hehe…Impressive to see through this…The rumours about you are true…” Konohamaru chuckled. He had rumours other than demon child?

“Hey I’ll let you be my boss!!” The kid looked like Naruto should be honoured but carried on none the less at Naruto’s less than impressed look. “In exchange teach me the sexy no jutsu you defeated Grandpa with!! Please!!” He hugged Naruto around the knees and unleashed the devastating puppy dog eyes no jutsu. Naruto smirked recalling when he and Konohamaru had infiltrated so many kunoichi infested locations with the same jutsu and how many perverts they had knocked out.

“Why not Kid?” He led Konohamaru away explaining the technique.

“Hold the image in your head, remember unlike a normal henge this is a physical change. It takes more chakra than normal but it is far more difficult to notice and dispel.” 

“Is it your own original jutsu Boss?”

“Yup, it took me hours to adjust the normal henge.”

“Waaaaaaa!! I will get this down! HENGE!!”

Naruto blanched going white. “Dispel! Try again. Wrong! More slender! More beautiful!!” The training continued each attempt marginally better than the last.

“By the way…why are you going after your grandpa so much?” Naruto asked his student as they took a break relaxing on a log.

Konohamaru slumped and after a while began to talk, “Grandpa gave me the name Konohamaru. I’m named after the village but even though everyone is used to that name here…nobody ever calls me that. When everyone sees me or calls me…all they see is the Hokage’s grandson. Nobody sees me as me. I’m sick of that. That’s why I want the Hokage name now.”

Naruto sighed, “Idiot!! Who’d acknowledge a punk like you?”

“Huh?”

“The Hokage title isn’t so easy a brat can take it.”

Konohamaru balled his fists, “What?!”

“It’s not that easy moron! Hokage, Hokage…if you want the name that much, then kick my ass first!!!” He grinned his trademark I never give up smile at Konohamaru and watched his eyes go wide then narrow.

A voice cut in on the two boys.

“I have found you.” Naruto turned to see Ebisu looming over them coolly on a tree branch. He gritted his teeth, one day those eyes would change he vowed. From suspicion to camaraderie. Ebisu leapt down.

“Honourable grandson it is time to leave.”

“No! Take this!! Sexy no jutsu!” It was perfect. That’s all Naruto had to say about it as he smugly crowed in his head. Maybe he should become a jonin sensei? Teaching was so easy. Oh yeah it didn’t work on Ebisu.

“W..Wh..What a vulgar skill!! I’m a gentleman, such a super low class skill...will never work against me!! If you hang out with the likes of him, you’ll just turn stupid! Just do what I say. I’m your easiest short cut to becoming a Hokage. Now let’s go home!!” 

“Nooooo!!!” Konohamaru yelled, “Booosssss!!!” 

“You’re lying.” Naruto told Ebisu with a calm he did not feel. Blood rushed through his head as he spoke the words which still resonated with him. “The title of Hokage is sacred. You don’t get trained for it, you can’t get trained for it! You have to think of the village as your most precious item and keep it close to your heart over and above everything else. You’re only Hokage if people acknowledge you not the other way around, you cannot be Hokage solely for the acknowledgement. There are no short cuts!”

Both student and elite tutor turned to look at him, was it his imagination or did Naruto see the tiniest glint of approval in Ebisu’s eye?

“Stop lecturing me like you’re some one important bah. You’re not my boss any more, from now on we are rivals!” Konohamaru cried. He ripped his way to stand across from Naruto and both of their serious gazes locked.

“I’ll be looking forward to it…Konohamaru.” He turned to Ebisu, “I do believe I heard a challenge?”

Ebisu cocked his head, “I don’t believe I issued one…”

“Ah it was such a low vulgar skill won’t work against you. Konohamaru put a point in my column! Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!”

For the first time since he time travelled he performed the jutsu. With thirty poofs of smoke thirty lounging Naruto’s appeared on the field surrounding Ebisu. The Hokage choked violently on his pipe as he watched the scenes from his ball. Naruto had never mentioned he picked up such a jutsu! Ebisu himself got eyes the size of dinner plates before he steeled himself.

“I am an elite tutor.” He told Naruto coolly, “I can take thirty of you and more.”

“Nah, it’d look bad if I beat up a jonin on my first day.” Naruto grinned foxily, “Sexy no jutsu” thirty voices cried as thirty voluptuous blondes appeared cooing and hanging off Ebisu with strategically placed smoke.

Ebisu stared and went shooting off with twin jets of blood from his nose. Naruto dispelled his clones laughing. It felt good to prank people! The Hokage hit his head against his desk repeatedly ignoring the panicked calls of his ANBU. He just knew he was going to fall victim to that technique…

…………

Naruto steeled himself before pushing open the door and walking in. Chattering and noise hit his ears instantly and he took a deep breath. He had time travelled. Everyone was alive. And they were going to stay alive! He cast an eye over his classmates and fought the urge to cry like a baby. Everyone was so innocent! And …chibified. He stepped inside hesitantly without his usual fanfare, dark thoughts swirling in his head about the future.

“Huh? Naruto, what the hell are you doing here? Only those who passed are supposed to be here.”

“Hey, hey can’t you see the forehead protector?” Naruto flicked it with his thumb lips twitching.

The boy gave him a dubious look but a voice he hadn’t heard for ages cut in.

“Hey will you let me through?”

Sakura…Master medic…Defeater of Sasori…Slug summoner……………fan girl…

He turned to face her trying to hide his mix of emotions; relief, welcome, grief and pride.

“Naruto! Move your ass! I want to sit on the other side of you!” Sakura glared down at him. Naruto hid a wide grin at the familiar antics but scrunched his eyebrows. Surely he didn’t have the same seat? He just took one randomly to prevent the incident. He turned around slowly to see a dark haired boy sitting in the corner seat.

Sasuke…Magnekyou Sharingan wielder…defeater of Orochimaru…snake and hawk summoner…………avenger…

Sasuke gave him an annoyed look noticing him watching. He really had a chance to do this again! His team would stay together this time! Now to please Sakura or Sasuke? Sakura took the matter out of his hands as she knocked him down in her eagerness to get to her Sasuke.

“Sasuke! Can I sit next to you?” Sasuke ignored her steadfastly. Sakura took that as a yes. He was not jumping up to the desk this time. He stayed perfectly still in his seat where he could not go anywhere near Sasuke. It was not happening. He clutched at his seat until his fingers went white.

Iruka walked in a while later. Phew crisis averted.

“Beginning today, all of you are real ninjas…But you are merely rookie genin. The hard part has just started. Now you will be assigned duties by the village. So today we will be creating the three man teams…And each team will have a jonin sensei. You will follow that sensei’s instructions as you complete the assigned duties.” Iruka looked over them all face serious as if to impart to them this wasn’t a joke. “We tried to balance each team’s strength.” 

Team 7 will be together again Naruto mused. This time around we really need more training from Kakashi, he loved that man to bits but goddamn he wasn’t much of a teacher. Maybe Sasuke wouldn’t defect? He bit his lip, he had no idea what to do! He glanced sideways at his future team mates; Sakura looked to be deep in prayer while Sasuke just looked exasperated at the world. Nothing changed huh?

“Team 7: Haruno Sakura, Uzumaki Naruto,” Sakura slumped over. “Uchiha Sasuke.” Then she perked right up punching the air. Sasuke however closed his eyes which Naruto translated as please kill me now. Should he keep up appearances or should he not? Hell it was fun!

“Iruka sensei! Why does an awesome shinobi like me have to be on the same team as someone like him?!” Naruto leapt to his feet and pointed dramatically at Sasuke who just calmly ignored him.

Iruka put his hands on his hips and barked back, “Sasuke’s results were the top of all 27 graduates, and Naruto…you were dead last. It is to balance out the teams.”

“Bah, just don’t get in my way dead last.” Sasuke scoffed from the side. Naruto glared at him, it didn’t need much acting on his part. He fell back into his seat grumbling for the sake of it. Iruka narrowed his eyes noticing Naruto had not responded to Sasuke’s taunt. Maybe the Mizuki incident was finally making him mature?

“Ok this afternoon, we’ll introduce the Jonin sensei. Take a break.”

Naruto went red slightly as he remembered what he had done the first time around. Now he thought of Sakura as a sister, no way was he doing that again.

“Hey, want to eat lunch as a team?” He offered.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow at him and left without saying a word, Sakura followed him like a puppy not even bothering to answer Naruto. He felt a pang of hurt. His team mates could at least answer him. He swallowed hard then left anyway, if they weren’t going to eat with him, he could prepare for tomorrow. He stuffed a sandwich in his mind and he chewed as he ran to Training ground 7 where it all began. He snuck cautiously in, just in case someone was using it. He crept in, ears straining but relaxed when he didn’t see or hear anybody. He quickly pulled out weapons, wire and exploding tags, he didn’t have much time to set this up! Wait, did he want to use real weapons or shadow clone objects? Could he even make them to last until the next day? No better to use real objects, just so his plan wasn’t ruined by him running out of energy.

He hastily made some traps with real, fake trip wires, kunai launchers, trigger launchers, faker trigger launchers, real launchers which looked fake, fake wires which tripped the real wires and buried exploding tags in a semi-circle around where he remembered Kakashi to have been. Thank god he hadn’t moved around much until the end! Unknown to Naruto, Kakashi was crouched in a tree looking very amused at his potential student’s antics. He had been gazing at the memorial stone, about to go find the Hokage to scout out his potential students when to his surprise one came directly to him. With the ease of an ANBU captain he supressed his chakra and hid remembering the Uzumaki’s had been talented chakra sensors. He watched Naruto sneak in, how had he known he was going to use Training ground 7? Well team 7 to training ground 7 wasn’t that big of a leap he reasoned doubtfully. As Naruto set up traps, he felt a flicker of unease. Naruto couldn’t have known what he had been planning to do. To be fair he was notorious as a jonin sensei, maybe Naruto heard it from somewhere. It wasn’t a bad plan, rig up the ground beforehand, it was what shinobi were meant to do. It was useless since he’d seen it all but the thought counted for something. He was slightly impressed, even if his lone eye was watering at the shade of his clothing. This was the dead last? He hummed to himself flitting away, deciding to give Naruto a chance with his traps since he had cleverly thought ahead and gathered information in such a short span of time. He was now really looking forward to this, maybe he could pass a team this year. 

Naruto panted as he finished his traps. Perfect, now he had to run back and…oh wait this was Kakashi he was thinking about. He had three hours to spare. He lazily slouched out of the training field and wandered back to the academy to meet up with his team.

…………………

Kakashi stared in shock at Naruto’s apartment. The same kid who proved he could think like a ninja kept his living conditions like this?? The milk went bad a while ago, it was messy and plants were everywhere with the dirt leaking out. Where was the order? The discipline? Where were the traps to stop enemy ninja? It didn’t match up. This was the apartment of a dead last, the boy he’d seen earlier did not match that profile.

“So this is Naruto’s house.” He mused, hiding his shock.

“Yes, he’s a moron but I think giving him to you would be best. You have a nose for those types. Plus your team will have Sasuke from that Uchiha clan. Good luck.”

“Yes sir.”

“Are you going to be late?”

“Maaa not more than usual.”

The Hokage rolled his eyes, “At least let them know your name before subjecting them to your brand of peculiarity.” Kakashi froze. He turned to face the Hokage sharply.

“They don’t know who their jonin sensei are going to be?”

“The Jonin sensei are introduced as they pick up their teams.” The Hokage puffed, “Why?”

Kakashi gazed intently at the milk carton feeling oddly excited, “Because Naruto snuck into training ground 7 to set traps.” The two ninja shared a look then Kakashi grinned under his mask, “This will be fun.”

…………………

Sasuke scowled into the silence. Sakura too had an irritated expression. Naruto on the other hand was bored out of his mind trying to cut a leaf in half with his chakra. He kept blowing them up in his face and his face now had a singed smell to it. He knew he was getting some very odd looks from the other two but resolved to ignore them still a bit miffed from being ignored so casually earlier.

“Baka what are you doing?” Sakura demanded finally. He wanted his Sakura back with a vengeance. She was mature, capable and smart, this mocking caricature was all the negative parts of his Sakura magnified. 

“Wind training.” He responded with a fake big smile. She huffed, “Where did you pick that up?”

“A friend taught me.” His eyes softened as he remembered Yamato and Kakashi bickering away as he agonised over cutting leaves. Sakura saw his eyes soften and abandoned the cutting remark she was going to make about him having no friends.

“Teach me?” She sat down opposite to him. Naruto nearly had a heart attack. Where was the punch for wasting her time? Or the dismissal of it as unimportant because Sasuke didn’t do it?

“Erm why? No offense Sakura.”

She glared at him then looked sideways as Sasuke blushing. Oh that made more sense. She wanted to impress him with her qualities of hard work and dedication. He half rolled his eyes and half wanted to yell in glee. Things were already changing.

“Elemental training isn’t that easy to pick up dobe.” Sasuke cut in smoothly, “You might even be training for the wrong element.”

“Wrong element?” Sakura looked at Naruto in confusion, “Ninjas can pick up most of the elements right?”

Naruto nodded, “Yeah but there’s a dominant element which is easiest for a ninja to pick up. I’m fairly sure,” his lips twitched minutely, “Mine is wind.”

“What’s yours Sasuke?” Sakura crooned, “I bet it’s the most impressive one.”

“…I don’t know.” Sasuke seemed a bit reluctant to bite it out.

“Fire and lightning.” Naruto replied casually swinging his feet.

“Shut up Naruto.” Sakura said absentmindedly. Sasuke shot him an extremely hard look, “How did you reason that one dobe?” his voice was cutting.

“Uchiha’s generally have a fire nature, and you seem more of a lightning type than fire.”

“Waa Sasuke’s so cool, he has two elemental types. What about me?” she looked expectantly at Naruto looked at her, “Fire.”

“Fire?” Echoed Sakura and Sasuke who looked put out.

“Fire. I don’t know the exercise for fire and I doubt Sasuke does either.” Naruto said with finality. 

With that awkward silence fell over the three of them. Two more hours passed in mind numbing boredom. Naruto checked the time and slid from his seat. Two pairs of eyes snapped to his movement. There was no point using a chalk eraser this time, it wouldn’t show on Kakashi sensei’s hair. He pulled out the chalk eraser and liberally splatted it with ink from ink pots. Payback time, he cackled mentally. He shoved it into the crack of the door.

“I’m not involved.” Sakura huffed.

“Pfft like a Jonin will fall for that kind of a trap.” Sasuke scoffed derisively. 

At that moment a hand appeared around the academy door and pushed it open. The three genin watched in disbelief as the inky eraser fell with a splat on a silver haired man in a dark mask. It worked better than Naruto anticipated, Kakashi grimaced under his mask. He hadn’t expected ink, it would take time for it to go away even with water. Naruto burst out laughing.

“Hahahaha you fell for it!” He actually felt more like crying than laughing seeing his sensei again, but laughing hysterically was a good substitute. Kakashi of course picked up his laugh wasn’t as real as it could have been and mentally raised an eyebrow. So far Naruto’s behaviour did not match up with the skulking boy on the training ground. He acted like…Obito…on purpose?

“I’m so sorry sensei, I tried to stop him but Naruto…” Sakura whimpered. Kakashi bent down to pick up the dirty eraser vowing to get his revenge on Hiruzen for giving him a team seemingly like his old one. He spotted Sasuke giving him one of the trademark Uchiha sceptical looks and sighed mentally. He had a lot of work to do.

“Hmm How can I say this?” he rubbed his chin, “I don’t like you guys!” He catalogued each of their reactions carefully. He didn’t need more acting from the more talented of the team on paper. Sasuke didn’t react, that fit the profile; Sakura sweat dropped, okay that did too, Naruto gazed back innocently, that sort of did? “Meet me on the roof in 5 minutes.” He shunshinned out leaving behind a lot of smoke just for Naruto being difficult.

He sat on the roof edge lazily waiting for the children. Sasuke was first up, he motioned for Sasuke to take a seat in front of him. Then Naruto and Sakura got there at the same time. They took their seats without being prompted.

“Ok…let’s begin with some introductions.”

“What do you want to know?” Sakura asked.

“How about your likes, dislikes, dreams, hobbies, stuff like that.” He elaborated.

“Hey, hey why don’t you introduce yourself to us first?!!” Naruto yelled.

“Yeah…you look suspicious.” The girl backed up her team mate. He wanted to laugh, he looked suspicious? He looked like the epitome of a ninja! Except for the hair but no one was perfect. Time for him to have some fun.

“Ohh…me? My name is Hatake Kakashi. I have no desire to tell you guys about my likes and dislikes. Dreams for the future…? Never thought about it. Hmm…well, I have lots of hobbies...”

Naruto suppressed a snort. Kakashi sensei was just the same. He remembered Kakashi giving the same speech to a noble client and the noble not knowing exactly how to react to such an enigmatic and infuriating statement.

“So all we learned is his name?” Sakura whispered disgruntledly. 

“Now it’s your turn, from the right.” Kakashi pointed to Naruto, “Take it away blondie.”

Naruto rolled his eyes, “My name is Uzumaki Naruto! As in whirlpool not the topping. But the topping’s great too, I love cup ramen! What I like more is when Iruka sensei buys me ramen. I dislike waiting three minutes for the ramen to cook.”

Kakashi fought the urge to face palm. Come on he urged Naruto to give him something to prove the dead last mask was just that, a mask.

“My dream…” Naruto’s face hardened, “Is to usher in a new age of the ninja.” The way he spoke sent chills down everyone’s spine. Kakashi’s eyes widened then relaxed, Naruto had grown in an interesting way.

“Hobbies…pranks I guess.” Naruto shrugged dispelling the tension he had created.

“I see.” Kakashi murmured, “Next.” He had a visionary for a student….great…

“My name is Uchiha Sasuke. There are tons of things I dislike but I don’t really like anything. And…I don’t want to use the word dream but I have an ambition. The resurrection of my clan and …to kill a certain man.” He glowered darkly into his hands. 

Kakashi wanted to read his porn desperately. A visionary and an avenger. Who had he pissed off in his life?

“And lastly the girl.”

“I’m Haruno Sakura, the thing I like is… Well…the person I like is…Umm Should I say my dream for the future…? Oh my!! The thing I dislike…is Naruto.” Naruto grimaced at that as did Kakashi. “My hobby is…” she kept glancing sideways at Sasuke.

Oh brilliant…a visionary, an avenger and a fan girl taught by the lazy pervert. It sounded like the start of a bad joke.

“Ok!! That’s enough of that. We will start our duties tomorrow.” He really enjoyed this next bit. “But first we’re going to do something with just the four of us.” He eye smiled at them all and laughed inwardly when they didn’t send hostile glances back.

“What?” Sasuke bit out.

“Survival training.” The two words dropped like a stone in the pleasant atmosphere. He crossed his arms.

“Why is our duty, training?” Sasuke sounded slightly confused.

“We did enough training at the academy.” Sakura cried.

“Where?” Everyone paused to consider Naruto’s response. Kakashi narrowed his eye, genin were supposed to question vague orders.

“I’m your opponent, but this isn’t normal training.” Why wasn’t he surprised Naruto didn’t look surprised.

“What is it then?” Sakura asked.

“Hehehe” he chuckled darkly, releasing the barest amount of his killing intent and watched two of his genin shiver before stilling. The third gave no indication he even felt it and just kept smiling. Well the fox had to have Naruto immune to such tiny killing intent he reasoned. 

“What’s so funny?” Sasuke demanded.

“Well…it’s just that…when I tell you this, you guys are definitely going to flip.” Naruto wasn’t totally sure but he was reasonably sure that last time there hadn’t been genuine malice glittering in Kakashi’s lone eye. Or the dangerous undertone to his voice when talking about the test. He gulped, he had no wish to face a more serious Kakashi in combat.

“Of the 27 graduates, only 9 will be chosen as Genin. The rest will be sent back to the academy. This training is a super difficult exam with a failure rate over 66%!!” Kakashi cut an imposing figure with his flyaway silver hair and dark mask looming over them. Yeah he definitely hadn’t been that scary last time Naruto decided watching Sakura gulp and Sasuke glare more ferociously out of the corner of his eye. It had to be his fault, he was the only one different, but question was what on earth had he done to warrant this?

“Haha.” Kakashi chuckled sardonically, “I told you you’d flip.”

Naruto decided quickly to act like a moron just to try and fix the scenario to how he remembered it.

“What the hell?!!! But we worked so hard…Then what was the point of graduating.” He yelled. It didn’t work. In fact it made it worse.

“Oh...that? That’s just to select those that have a chance to become genin.” Kakashi had never sounded that cold or like he didn’t care about their futures in quite that way before. It chilled Naruto, and if it chilled him it most definitely chilled the other two.

“I’ll warn you now.” Kakashi continued, “A visionary seeking an impossible goal, an avenger after the loftiest ambition, a fan girl without any convictions have no place in the shinobi forces. I will not blame you if you decide not to turn up tomorrow and get humiliated. Konoha has no need of weak brats and I refuse to teach babies.” He stared at all of them coolly. Naruto felt ice form in his stomach. Where was lazy sensei? Where was bored sensei? Where was perverted sensei? The man in front of them was a vicious, cold killer.

He bit his lip. He had to pass! Or the future would change drastically. Well he already knew the test, all he had to do was persuade the other two to come around to his point of view.

“Don’t bother having breakfast if you decide to turn up. You’ll just throw it up. The details are on this print out, don’t be late tomorrow.” With that, the ominous aura vanished and Kakashi was back to his normal self with the bored intonation and lazy eye. Naruto was frozen to his seat as were his team mates. The change was terrifying, even more than his other self. No body dared say anything. He skimmed the print out, basic information, and threw it away. When they looked up from the print out, Kakashi was gone.

“I think we got the scariest jonin in Konoha.” Sakura whispered. “The way he just changed.”

“Higher nin are usually unbalanced.” Sasuke grunted. Sakura looked at him in horror, then where their sensei had been.

Naruto licked his dry lips, “We’re going to die tomorrow.”


	2. Initial sparks

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don’t own Naruto exactly like the last time. *sigh* It’s depressing. Oooh question, Byakugan or Sharingan? Bit curious to see the split, I’ve always been more of a Byakugan girl myself.

Kakashi leapt over the rooftops incredibly disappointed with his new team. The girl was merely a fan girl. Top kunoichi? Really? He didn’t see an inner core of strength he saw in the other two. She would be detrimental to team work, hanging off one and belittling the other. From muscle definition, she didn’t worked out or practised as much as she should have. A kunoichi wearing a dress? A nice dress at that? It was ridiculous. It wasn’t because she reminded him of Rin he told himself.

Then there was Sasuke. He could believe Sasuke was the rookie of the year, Uchiha’s were naturally gifted in combat but his obsession with his brother was worrying. The desire for power glimmered in the back of his eyes and Kakashi knew he had to be careful. They boy was a loner, team work would not come naturally to him considering the last person he trusted killed all of his family. Yeah Kakashi was going to have problems. And he could see a younger version of himself in Sasuke but really who cared? He didn’t.

Naruto. The most confusing member of the team. He had some gigantic secrets which could potentially splinter the team apart. He had the distinct feeling Naruto was used to his antics but that was impossible. All Naruto had seen of him was his silver hair when he guarded him as a kid. He didn’t trust either of his teammates and it showed in the way he kept both of them in his sight at all times and kept glancing at them. A team with secrets was a faulty team he thought grimly. He had to find a way to get Naruto to share them. He acted like Obito but he wasn’t, there was a hidden intelligence there, which he saw earlier. That was the reason he liked Naruto least at the minute. He could deal with a generation Xerox of his team, Naruto messed it up.

He could not see a team forming.

……………………

Naruto turned up on time just in case the weirdness that had infected Kakashi had also made him inclined to be on time. It was a lost cause. Like the original time he waited for three hours with his team in utter silence. He didn’t want to talk, they reminded him too much of their future selves. Sasuke was too antisocial to talk and Sakura was too intimidated by twin sources of tension to consider breaking the silence. Dimly he was aware this was very bad for team building but he suppressed it. He missed his Konoha and friends. Hell he even missed Sai and all his jokes. He had just spent the night drawing scenes from his memory in a brooding silence. The change in Kakashi unsettled him, there shouldn’t have been a change this early.

“Yo! Good morning!” the subject of his thought wandered up.

“You’re late.” Snarked Sasuke, shrieked Sakura, commented Naruto. Kakashi eye smiled, this time no one smiled back.

“Ahh I got delayed to buy a new alarm clock, I jammed a kunai in my old one.” He mused thoughtfully.

“Ok, it’s set for noon.” He clicked the alarm on an alarm clock on a stump.

“?” came the response.

Kakashi held up two silver bells. “Here are two bells. Your task is to take these from me before noon. Those who can’t get a bell by noon…get no lunch. I’ll not only tie you to one of those stumps but I’ll eat right in front of you.”

On cue three stomachs rumbled. Naruto had thought it best to play it safe.

“You only need to get one bell. There are only two, so one of you will definitely be tied to a stump. And…the person who doesn’t take a bell fails. So at least one of you will be sent back to the Academy.” Kakashi’s lone eye looked over them all, “Use whatever you like. You won’t succeed unless you come at me with intent to kill.” Actually they wouldn’t succeed at all but there was no need to crush hopes.

“Sensei you couldn’t dodge a black board eraser.” Naruto said cautiously. 

“Empty pots sound the loudest. Ignore Mr Dead last and start when I say…”

Dead last!

Just because he was dead last didn’t mean he had no talent! But he wasn’t suicidal or stupid enough to charge at Kakashi with just a kunai this time. However he wasn’t going to let that comment slide, he had enough of being ignored dammit. But his decision was taken out of his hands by Kakashi blurring from where he was. Milliseconds later he felt one hand being twisted back and cold steel of a kunai at his throat. He didn’t dare to gulp, he hadn’t done anything!

“See that. Look at your team mates, each of them reacted accordingly. You are the dead last,” Naruto could feel Kakashi shrug, “It is simply unavoidable.” Then Kakashi released him and slotted away his kunai. Naruto looked. Sasuke was in a defensive guard and he had been in that guard ever since he lost track of Kakashi. Sakura had reacted too by bringing her arms up in a parody of a block. Why hadn’t Naruto reacted? Despite this Kakashi scaring him, he still trusted his sensei and didn’t believe he would harm Naruto.

“Acknowledge me and I’ll acknowledge you.” Kakashi crinkled his eye and patted Naruto on the head. “Start!!”

Kakashi wanted to face the war veteran…fine. The three genin blurred away to hide, Naruto had attached a note to each of their shirts when they hadn’t been paying attention. Pranking helped so much with stealth. It read

Mind the traps. It’s a test of team work. I have a plan. Naruto.

Sasuke read it, raised an eyebrow and commended Kakashi in his head for such a confusing test. The way he managed to imitate Naruto’s writing was remarkable except for the fact Sasuke knew Naruto couldn’t spell to save his life. He casually threw what was a trap in his mind away. He had to get a bell alone, Sakura was a weight and Naruto was the dead last, there could be no team work there.

Sakura read it and thought about it. While it was true genin teams were in groups of 4, it was also true that she had seen many teams of three in Konoha. Perhaps Naruto could be correct but she couldn’t take the chance, she had to be with Sasuke on a team of 3 or 4. Working with Naruto meant Sasuke would fail and she couldn’t stand that. Perhaps she could work together with Sasuke?

Naruto crouched under a bush and hoped that they would believe him. After a while when he saw no movement towards him he sighed and accepted the fact they hadn’t believed him. Why did they have to be so difficult? He griped. 

“Hello Naruto.” The cheery voice of his sensei behind him spooked him so much he scrambled away as quick as he could.

“Oh good you have some instincts.” Kakashi crinkled his eye squatting behind the bush.

“How? I mean you’re over there.” Naruto pointed in a direction where a lack of a Kakashi was incredibly obvious, “Oh.”

“You’re slightly off in hiding.” Kakashi commented lightly, “This yours?” He held up one of the notes Naruto had given to the others. Oh dear. “You have a plan? Mind showing me it?”

“I do actually.” Naruto agreed, “I do mind that is.”

“Pity. Well I do hope you’ll show me your plan when you’re trying not to get hit.”

Naruto felt foreboding tickle his spine. He backed off slightly and got in a defensive pose. Kakashi clucked disapprovingly, “Your left foot is too far out, you’re too bent over, your right hand should be higher, and your other hand should be lower. If you were older and taller that stance would be fine.”

Naruto fixed his stance and immediately felt more at ease. He hadn’t realised his old habits would be passed on, this made learning taijutsu more difficult than he had imagined.

“Weak point of the stance.” Came the voice behind him. Oh come on not again! “Is here.” Two fingers poked him in the neck and he collapsed in agony clutching his neck. He looked up to see Kakashi looking curiously at his fallen form.

“I suppose I have to take it easy on you.” He sighed, “You are the dead last after all.” Something gleamed in his lone eye. Naruto did not like it. At all.

Kakashi’s hand dipped into his pouch then paused, “Hey kid, if I told you, you could be a genin if you tell me which of your two team mates deserve to go back, who would you say?”

“…What?” 

“I saw your trap making skills yesterday, and information gathering, you figured out the purpose of this test. You’re at the genin level. So who would you send back? Don’t be shy here.”

“I...wouldn’t...” he stammered confused.

Kakashi’s eye glittered in disappointment, “I see, inability to make decisions in a hurry is a crucial set back. Maybe I was wrong in thinking you had some redeeming qualities, you aren’t genin level.” That stung.

“You just said I had good trap making and information gathering skills!” he yelled.

Kakashi rolled his eyes, “The mind-set of a genin is more important than the skills of a genin. I couldn’t care less about what you can or can’t do but what you’re willing to do. And anyway I was being nice.” That sounded more like his Kakashi but the implied meaning wasn’t.

“Show me why you deserve to be on this team. Sasuke is a genius in his own right and Sakura can be moulded to be great. You’re the dead last, the weight.” Kakashi demanded sliding into his own stance, Naruto noticed his book was nowhere in sight. Hell what had he done to merit this big a change!? This cruelty was not familiar to him from his sensei.

Kakashi dealt him a punishing blow to the solar plexus. He couldn’t block it in time and he wheezed as he was sent stumbling back. There was no time to recover as Kakashi kicked him viciously in the side sending him into a tree. His side felt like something was broken with the force of that kick, he curled up before pushing himself to his feet. Kakashi was still standing where he had been watching him.

“Kage bunshin no jutsu.” He whispered, talking hurt. Fifty copies of him appeared around the clearing and started to attack Kakashi who…surprise, surprise wasn’t there anymore. He had done Kawarimi with the original Naruto so he got the pounding meant for Kakashi until his clones noticed.

“Think before you use a jutsu or it’ll be used against you.” Kakashi remarked casually as he chopped a clone across the wind pipe so it dispelled. Naruto gritted his teeth, he couldn’t match up to Kakashi! The man was too smart, and apparently not hesitant to pull any punches. “I cleared it with the Hokage, I can do anything I like against you guys.” He clapped his hands, “Isn’t that great!?”

“No! You broke something!”

“Maa it’ll heal. You have the Kyuubi after all. Pretty much everything I do to you will get healed.” He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. Naruto’s remaining clones circled him warily. “Don’t tell me you’re giving up on the mission objective so easily! The bells are right here.” He pointed to his side.

“You must think I’m stupid if you think I’m going to rush in like a madman.” Naruto rasped out.

“I do think you’re stupid.” Kakashi agreed, “You haven’t noticed it’s a genjutsu yet.”

“What?” When had he? “Kai!” Nothing happened. “Arghhh!” A kunai thrown at such an angle that it went through both his hands pinning them together. Blood dripped down his hand as he felt the bones shift around the kunai as he tried to move his hands. It was agony.

“I lied kid. I do that sometimes. Rule number 2 of combat: Never listen to the enemy!! You’ve already broken rule number 1.”

“What’s that?” Naruto backed off slowly pulling his right hand out of its position with a squelch. He grimaced, his blood had an all too familiar coppery smell.

“Never get in a fight you can’t win. Come on Naruto I did say it was survival training.”

“I get it!” Naruto snarled. 

“No, you don't get it, that’s why I'm telling you. You think you get it, which isn't the same as actually getting it. Get it?” Kakashi snarked.

Kawarimi.

Kawarimi.

Kawarimi.

Kawarimi.

He and his clones swapped with each other several times until Kakashi lost track of the original. Right really, he could smell the blood back to a single Naruto. That plan wouldn’t work on him. Three clones came at him, one low, one middle, one high. He sighed grabbed the highest one by the ankle and brought him smashing down into the other two so they all dispelled.

“You’re going to have to do better than that, dead last.” 

The clones in a fit of fury piled on top of him, kicking and punching all available parts of him. Maybe he had pushed the boy a little too far? Kakashi casually pulled out a heavy chain with razor sharp sickles on both ends and began to spin it expertly. Each flash of steel dispelled at least four clones as they were bisected screaming. The original gaped and hastily summoned more clones in the hope of crushing Kakashi under numbers. No. They all died too. A stray slash caught Naruto on his left arm and he cried out in pain. Blood spurted out and he felt vomit build up in the back of his throat as his eyes went blurry from tears of pain. 

Slam!

Naruto was pinned to a tree, a sickle scraping his neck as it curved around his neck to stick in the tree. He couldn’t move his head or he’d lose it!

“Kakashi sensei?” he was now getting scared. Maybe he was in an alternate dimension, there was no other explanation for this!

“Stay still Naruto.” He heard from outside his range of vision. “You sure are weak for someone who wants to usher in a new age of ninja.”

“Shut up.” He breathed, going heady from blood loss. He felt the awful pressure of failure on his chest. Kakashi sensei was treating him like he was a demon. That hurt more than any of his wounds.

He felt a chain wrap around his right arm.

“Sensei what are you doing?” he called out in a panic.

“Not your sensei yet kid.” Kakashi called back absentmindedly. “You still have to get a bell.”

“Are you spending your entire time focusing on me? Not the other two???”

Silence. Deceptively calm silence. “You would foist me on your team mates and have me leave you alone? You disgust me.” Kakashi pulled hard on the chain.

Naruto screamed to high heaven, choking and sobbing as the chain pulled tight around his arm cutting into the flesh down to the bone and splintering the bone itself to become straight. He was blinded by pain, his vision went splotchy and he was dimly aware of a loud wailing, hiccupping sound.

“Now let us try again.” Kakashi’s hand grabbed Naruto’s chin to force it down to meet his lone eye.

“I’m sure you didn’t mean what you said, care to try again?”

“Bastard!” he sobbed. Kakashi shook the chain slightly, White hot agony shot up his arm and down his shoulder. “Stop! You’ll kill me!”

“Trust me kid, if I channelled fire or lightning down this…then it would be painful. Look at you, like a lamb to the slaughter. I can’t on good conscience send you out as a genin of the leaf if you go down this easily to opponents. Where’s your plan? Where’s your pride? Isn’t it great that basically I have permission to kill you and no one would blink an eye?”

“Here’s a plan.” Naruto gritted his teeth and punched Kakashi in the stomach with all the chakra he could channel with his left arm. It broke under the strain and he screamed but Kakashi was sent flying backwards winded. Thank God Kakashi had let go of the chain, he didn’t want to imagine what would have happened then. Oh God Kakashi had done this to him. Why??! This wasn’t real he told himself firmly. This couldn’t be real.

“Kai.” He said.

The genjutsu broke. Naruto stared wide eyed back at a lounging Kakashi sensei who was eye-smiling at him.

“Maaa took you a long time to break. I took the time to get rid of your clones.” He said cheerfully.

“You have a sadistic imagination sensei.” He got out while fixing his eyes firmly on Kakashi’s feet. “When did you even?” He was slipping! How could there be such a difference between him and his war self!?

“When you said Kai for the first time.” Sensei sounded far too happy he decided. “Well I covered you in taijutsu and genjutsu, only one left.”

“You beat me up. You didn’t see what I could do in taijutsu.” Naruto pointed out defensively.

Kakashi waved a hand, “I saw your clones. I got a good idea. You’ve given up on the bells completely haven’t you?” he peered at Naruto.

“Yeah…it doesn’t matter does it? Even if I get a bell we won’t pass unless we show team work. How long do we?”

“10 minutes. Are you sure I’m testing you on teamwork considering I found out you knew the answer before I gave you the test?”

Naruto froze then looked up to see Kakashi’s eye twinkling at him. 

“You’re a kage bunshin.” He said slowly. “You’re not giving us the chance to work together. Why!?” Naruto was enraged.

“If you really wanted to work together, I couldn’t stop you.” Kakashi shrugged. “Face it, you warned your team mates. No one wants to work together.”

“I want to work together!!” Naruto yelled.

Kakashi fixed him with a piercing stare. “No you don’t.”

Naruto opened his mouth, then closed it again. Maybe when he really thought about it, he didn’t want to work with his team mates. He wanted to work with the people they would become. He needed to accept that this was his reality now, he had to work with them. He looked down at his feet and shuffled.

“You’re right.” He said in a small voice. Kakashi ruffled his hair, the very familiar act almost bringing tears to Naruto’s eyes.

“Come on Naruto, four minutes and we’ll end this.” His voice was kind. “Show me some ninjutsu.”

“And embarrass myself?” Naruto snorted. Kakashi chuckled, “Not everyone can be as good as me I know but give it your best shot.”

“You saw my kage bunshin.” Naruto shrugged, “There’s Kawarimi and Henge. That’s it really. Ooooooh! Ooooh! Ooooh!” he bounced around. Kakashi frowned slightly.

Kage bunshin!

“Change your mind about the bells?” he asked lightly slipping into a stance.

“Nope! This is revenge! Oroike!”

Countless girls hung off Kakashi in the same manner as Ebisu. Kakashi went bloodless so fast his skin matched his hair. They cooed at him and draped themselves over him. Then after a moment of consideration he pushed up his headband to reveal the Sharingan. Naruto dispelled it immediately.

“Pervert.” He announced. Kakashi reached into his pouch and held up Icha Icha amused. The bell rang. 

………….

Kakashi was confused. Who wouldn’t be? He had just put Naruto through a very traumatising genjutsu and the boy had just shaken it off like it was nothing. Instant forgiveness had not been in mind as a reaction when he had put the boy under a genjutsu! He’d expected screaming, running away, loss of trust anything except a snarky answer and understanding. 

The boy had understood…

Maybe Naruto hadn’t even realised he understood but it was clear from the way he unconsciously fell into a neutral pose. Albeit a much butchered neutral pose but the original intention wasn’t hard to work out. If anything the boy seemed angry at himself for falling to the genjutsu in the first place. That was the reaction of an experienced sparring partner, not a fresh rookie genin. But it was also clear he was a fresh rookie genin, his skills were abysmal in Taijutsu, genjutsu but ninjutsu wasn’t too bad for a genin. His Kage bunshin had been trickier than he expected though, there had been a lot of henging into weapons and random tufts of grass only to ambush him as the other clones threw them or he almost stepped on them. Nothing he couldn’t handle easily of course but the level of trickery was better than his teammates by a long shot.

If another village had managed to capture Naruto, extract the Kyuubi, implant the Kyuubi into another boy, got him back into Konoha henged as the real Naruto all without someone noticing he might as well commit seppuku now. So he assumed it was the real Naruto…foxes were known to be masters of deception…could the fox be influencing Naruto to hide his abilities? He cursed in his head, Naruto’s seal weakening was out of his abilities to fix! What would you have done Obito? He thought rhetorically before sighing and resigning himself to try and contact the Toad Sannin as soon as possible. Why oh why was the seal master in the opposite end of Fire Country than the most important potentially unstable seal in Fire country? Maybe he was over reacting? Naah it wasn’t possible to overreact when the Kyuubi was involved.

His mind turned to his other students. He resisted the urge to fall to his knees and beg for forgiveness from the deity he had apparently pissed off. Sakura was worse than useless at the minute. And he was being kind! At least Rin had some useful points to her at the beginning. Sasuke was good. Undeniably good. Granted Kakashi hadn’t gone as harsh on him as he had on Naruto so Sasuke got a chance to show his skills off more…oh he really needed to give Naruto that opportunity as well just to see what he could do…he never said his plan as well…hmm. There was one fundamental difference between a younger him and Sasuke, he had respected his sensei from the beginning. Maybe this team wasn’t like his old team at all. IF they passed and that was a big IF, he needed to sort the team out fast. 

1) How on earth did Naruto deduce so much from so little?  
2) How on earth did he turn Sakura into a useful member of the ninja corps?  
3) How on earth did he curb Sasuke’s obsession with his brother?

He was an ex ANBU captain, he told himself, he could handle three tiny brats. A light bulb sparked in his head. Gai! If that didn’t get them united, nothing would. He walked off making plans seemingly unaware that he had already accepted the thought of them passing. He had an uncomfortable thought that he wouldn’t be going to such lengths if his interest hadn’t been piqued yesterday.

………..

Naruto was tied to the stump. Why always him? He was more cheerful than he had been in a while. Kakashi sensei was bi polar true but finally he had accepted that he was stuck in this reality. Now he could stop treating this like a vacation and get to work! Sakura and Sasuke were piles of depression on either side of him.

“Oh you guys look really hungry.” Kakashi looked soo concerned under his mask. “By the way, something about the training. There’s no need for you guys to go back to the academy.” Sakura perked up looking surprised, even Sasuke showed some surprise in his eyes. Naruto gathered their experiences had gone as badly as his own.

“Then!!Then!! All three of us...!” Naruto yelled just because he was so cheerful.

Kakashi shoved his hands in his pockets, “Yup, all three of you…should quit as ninjas!”

Yeah Naruto was expecting that, he just slumped back against the ropes. Sakura and Sasuke gaped at Kakashi in shock and anger. Kakashi stared back, a dark expression in his lone eye. This wasn’t friendly Kakashi anymore Naruto thought with a gulp, woo boy.

“Quit!” Sakura screeched, “What does that mean?”

“Fine we didn’t get the bells but…why do we have to quit?” Naruto asked irony lacing his tone. Kakashi shot him an extremely sharp look. He looked away hurriedly.

“Because all of you…are just punks who don’t deserve to be ninjas.” He said calmly as if he wasn’t splintering their life dreams. Sasuke couldn’t take more of this. With a roar he charged at Kakashi. With blinding speed Sasuke found himself face down in the dirt with Kakashi on top of him with a foot on his head.

“This is why you’re a punk.” He told Sasuke.

“Don’t step on Sasuke!” Sakura yelled.

Kakashi unleashed some of his blood lust. He was satisfied to see Sakura shrink back and Sasuke shift in the dirt. Naruto however still didn’t react, he glared at the blond boy. That got him to flinch back he noticed grimly.

“Are you guys underestimating ninjas? Huh? Why do you think you were divided into teams when doing this training?” Kakashi barked.

“Huh? What does that mean?” Sakura asked timidly in the wake of Kakashi’s ire. He was furious, one of them knew the answer and was not telling. The other two had the answer handed to them but refused to see it! Hell Sasuke came from a ninja clan, he should have picked this up before. Sakura should have picked it up in her reading. If Naruto could pick it up so could the top two ninja in their year! This was not teamwork. There was no element of trust here. He restrained himself.

“Basically…you guys are not understanding the answer to this test?” He glared at Naruto practically challenging him to ask what the answer was. He didn’t know why Naruto acted but it was going to stop right now.

“Answer?” Sasuke grunted muffled from underneath Kakashi. He rolled his eyes, “Yes the answer which usually helps people pass tests.” He scathingly bit out.

“When are you going to tell us?” Sakura ventured.

“I’m not. He is.” Kakashi nodded at Naruto who looked like a deer in the headlights.

Naruto could feel Kakashi’s anger building. Normally sensei was a laid back guy but apparently lack of team work set him off. Good to know, he gulped nervously. He licked his lips.

“It’s teamwork.” He whispered.

“Exactly.” Kakashi looked slightly mollified, “The three of you working together may have gotten the bells.”

Sakura burst out, “But there are two bells! That just makes us fight each other, what teamwork!?”

“Of course!! This test is purposely set up to make you fight amongst yourselves. The purpose is to see whether you can forget about your own interests…and successfully work together under designed circumstances.”

“You didn’t give us the chance to work together.” Naruto called out suddenly.

“I gave you ten minutes. There was an awful lack of cooperation so I took things into my own hands. It’s like that on the battle field. You work together from the start or it gets exponentially harder to work together later on.” Kakashi looked over all of them. “You guys…Sakura, you had the answer given to you as did Sasuke. Did either of you think it through? You were too concerned with Sasuke who was far away instead of Naruto who you could hear fighting. Naruto, you gave your team mates one chance then abandoned them. Sasuke! You assumed everyone else would get in your way and tried to do everything yourself and failed. The duties are done by the team. Of course superior individual ability is important to a ninja but what is more important is teamwork.”

Kakashi reached back into his pouch. Naruto tensed, Kakashi sent him a curiously approving look.

“Individual play that disrupts the team can put your comrades in danger. And even get you killed. For example…” He whipped out a kunai, immobilised Sasuke and pressed a kunai to his neck, “Sakura!! Kill Naruto!! Or Sasuke dies!!”

“That sort of choice has bad consequences no matter what you do!” Naruto roared drowning out Sakura’s “Whaaaaat!!” 

“Exactly. If a hostage is taken, you will have tough choices. You will be risking your lives in these duties.” Kakashi climbed off Sasuke, tucking away his kunai. He walked over to a stone with numerous names carved on it. Naruto in took a sharp breath, the stone had been destroyed in the invasion of Pein and most of the names had been forgotten. Here it was whole and sound.

“Look at this. There are lots of names carved onto this stone. These are the ninjas who are recognised as heroes of the village.” Naruto looked away. How many had died in the war without getting their name etched on the memorial?

“All of these heroes died in the line of duty. This is a memorial. My best friend’s name is also carved here…”

He wasn’t much of a friend Kakashi sensei Naruto thought thinking of Obito and his tragic story. It would have been better if you had left him to complete your mission. Then he could have died as a proud shinobi. Kakashi turned half way to face them, “I’ll give you one more chance. But after lunch I’ll make it even tougher to get the bells. Those who still wish to challenge can eat lunch. But don’t give any to Naruto.”

“Why!?” he yelped.

“Because your traps annoyed me…I had to waste time throwing your clones around to get rid of them. If anyone gives him any food, they will fail immediately. I am the rules here!! Got it?” Kakashi disappeared with a leap.

Oh so that’s what happened to his beautiful traps. He pouted.

“It’s fine guys, I don’t need any food.” He said calmly. His stomach betrayed him but he ignored it. They needed to give up their food willingly for Naruto for him to consider working with them.

“What did Sensei do to you?” Naruto asked them randomly to break the silence of them eating.

Sakura swallowed then, “Genjutsu to show Sasuke’s disembodied head.” She blushed, “I passed out and when I woke up I saw Sasuke buried to his neck and by the time I got him out, the time was up.”

Sasuke replied shockingly, “He had a ninjutsu battle with me after a taijutsu battle. It left me buried in the earth.” He admitted.

Naruto whistled, “You got in a ninjutsu fight with the ninjutsu specialist of Konoha. I’m surprised you’re not more battered. He killed me with taijutsu and genjutsu.”

“Naruto…you’re not good at taijutsu, I’m sure it wasn’t that bad just humiliating.” Sakura pointed out.

Naruto shook his head, “He kicked me into a tree. Say what you will but trees are hard!” It seemed like Kakashi had gone normal toned down strength on the other two, why so vicious to Naruto? It wasn’t because Kakashi hated Naruto, hell his father had taught Kakashi. Only explanation Kakashi was suspicious and was testing him for his rank. A genin would not be able to stand against the Sharingan no Kakashi and he had proved quite epically he was outclassed in every aspect. Why was Kakashi suspicious? The whole trapping the training field had given away his secret that he wasn’t the dead last anymore, he groaned out loud but Sakura and Sasuke mistook it as a groan of despair and hunger.

“Here.” Sasuke snapped as he abruptly held out his lunch towards Naruto. Naruto blinked then smiled hesitantly.

“Hey Sasuke, sensei just said…”

“Don’t worry, I can’t sense him near here. After lunch we’ll work together and get the bells. Without food he’ll just be in the way and that’ll only hurt is.” Sasuke explained. Sakura bit her lip then she too thrust her lunch towards Naruto.

“Thanks you guys…” Naruto smiled, “Hehehe.”

Kakashi leant against a tree out of his genin’s view and smiled under his mask. Time for some fun.

Thunder boomed in front of the genin, a harsh gale whipped out throwing dust and smoke in their eyes so they coughed and rubbed their eyes. Kakashi appeared in the middle of it all surrounded in brilliant flashes of lightning with his killing intent turned to an all-time high. Sakura curled into a ball trembling, Sasuke froze locked into place while Naruto reflexively snarled and bared his teeth at the source of the killing intent. Kakashi glared murder at all three of them, forcing them to visualise images of their own death in their heads.

“YOU GUYS..!!!”

The wind dropped, the lightning faded and thunder ceded.

“Pass. Heh.” Kakashi eye smiled at them still in his murderous pose.

“Has anyone told you how incredibly disturbing that is sensei?” Naruto got out.

“Pass? But why?” Sakura uncurled herself slowly shaking. Kakashi patted her on the head to get her to recover. Sasuke shook away Kakashi’s hand when it was his turn.

“You guys are the first.”

“Huh?”

“?”

“Everyone else would do whatever I told them to. They were all morons.” Kakashi sounded derisive, “…A ninja must see underneath the underneath. Those who break the rules and codes of the ninja world are called trash…But you know what? Those who don’t take care of their comrades…are lower than trash.” Kakashi imparted his most important rule to them and winked at Naruto who shook his head at him. Hehe the little test within a test earlier had been informative.

“That ends the training. All of you pass!! Ok!! Starting tomorrow Team 7 will begin its duties!!” Kakashi was happy again. He finally had a team which he might like…Even if everyone on it sucked…majorly. He really had to talk to a blond genin under his command soon thinking about it.  
“You two go home. I have to talk to Naruto about his attire.” Kakashi waved off Sakura and Sasuke and squatted in front of Naruto to meet him at eye level. Sakura laughed and Sasuke smirked as they walked off.

“I’m perfect as I am sensei.” Naruto said immediately knowing Kakashi would pick up on the hidden meaning.

“It’ll interfere in the carrying out of duties by the team.” Kakashi countered. “It’s not good to hide beneath such baggy layers. You can’t move as efficiently and your combat effectiveness goes down.”

“People will underestimate me.” Naruto wet his lips.

“People will aim for you first because you will seem like the weak link in the team.” Kakashi corrected.

“Did you mean what you said before…when you tested me?” This was a question he really wanted the answer to.

“No matter how strong a chain is, relatively one of its links is always the weakest.” Kakashi murmured. “Shoddy workmanship, cheap fittings…”

Naruto nodded, “I’m used to these clothes and they’re comfortable.”

“Give some new clothes a chance. You might be surprised.” Kakashi rolled his eyes, “I’m not saying go mesh, just more form fitting clothes in more natural colours.”

Naruto laughed, “I think people would have a heart attack seeing me out of my trademark suit.”

“They’ll adjust.” Kakashi would not budge an inch.

“Small changes.” Naruto stressed the small.

“Why did you even wear the orange suit anyway, if you didn’t like it?” Kakashi asked casually, mind whirring.

Naruto looked offended, “I do like it, I just got tired of seeing the same colour day after day and by the time I wanted to change I couldn’t.”

“Why?” Kakashi pressed.

Naruto gave him a look, “You’re pressing me on the clothes you want me to wear, imagine the reaction if I turned up in those clothes in front of everyone who knew me to love orange jumpsuits.”

“People do mature in ninja careers very quickly.”

“Not overnight.” Came the quick reply.

“Better the truth overnight than lies over a couple of weeks.”

“We’re ninja, lies are in our job description.”

“You’ve been genin for 5 minutes, you can be excused the lying part.”

“But I’m good at it!”

“Not so good that I didn’t pick it up.”

“You’re a Jonin. You don’t count.” Was the boy sulking? Kakashi was amused.

“Come on Naruto, I’ll drag you around town until we find some better ninja attire.”

“Ehhh!!!??”

“…You know as we have been talking about…” Kakashi eye smiled down at him and flipped a kunai so it cut through the ropes. “I don’t care if you wear that jumpsuit outside our team time but while we’re working as a team, you will wear suitable attire.”

“Shouldn’t you be saying that to Sakura too?” Yup definitely sulking.

“She doesn’t have the same problem as you.” With that Kakashi picked up Naruto, tucked him under one arm and walked off reading his book while Naruto screamed bloody murder.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If people didn’t understand the one dialogue, two conversations, leave it in a review or pm me. I’ll put up the translations in the next chapter. Poor Naruto’s going to drive Kakashi up the wall Hehehe. Review please! ^.^


	3. Sputtering Flame

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiiii! I’m back! This is a nice light hearted chapter because I felt nice. I don’t own Naruto and I don’t think I ever will at this rate. Here’s the explanation for the twin conversations, one dialogue. Clothes is a metaphor here people.
> 
> “I’m perfect as I am sensei.” Don’t try and change how I act.
> 
> “It’ll interfere in the carrying out of duties by the team.” Kakashi countered. “It’s not good to hide beneath such baggy layers. You can’t move as efficiently and your combat effectiveness goes down.” Acting will hinder teamwork. It’s not good to act, you can become the mask. If people think you’re an idiot then in combat teamwork goes down because people don’t know what you can do.
> 
> “People will underestimate me.” I can surprise people.
> 
> “People will aim for you first because you will seem like the weak link in the team.” Kakashi corrected. You won’t get the chance to surprise people, they’ll aim for you first.
> 
> “Did you mean what you said before…when you tested me?” This was a question he really wanted the answer to. Self-explanatory.
> 
> “No matter how strong a chain is, relatively one of its links is always the weakest.” Kakashi murmured. “Shoddy workmanship, cheap fittings…” self-explanatory again.
> 
> Naruto nodded, “I’m used to these clothes and they’re comfortable.” I’ve got used to acting like this.
> 
> “Give some new clothes a chance. You might be surprised.” Kakashi rolled his eyes, “I’m not saying go mesh, just more form fitting clothes in more natural colours.” Try not acting for a change. I’m not saying bare your heart and secrets just something closer to the real Naruto.
> 
> Naruto laughed, “I think people would have a heart attack seeing me out of my trademark suit.” People will be surprised and shocked if I decide not to act.
> 
> “They’ll adjust.” Kakashi would not budge an inch. They’ll have to cope.
> 
> “Small changes.” Naruto stressed the small. Over a long period of time.
> 
> “Why did you even wear the orange suit anyway, if you didn’t like it?” Kakashi asked casually, mind whirring. Why do you even act if you don’t like it? (Kakashi is hypothesizing)
> 
> Naruto looked offended, “I do like it, I just got tired of seeing the same colour day after day and by the time I wanted to change I couldn’t.” I kept acting little bit by little bit and when the acting was too far apart from what I’m like I couldn’t change back.
> 
> “Why?” Kakashi pressed.
> 
> Naruto gave him a look, “You’re pressing me on the clothes you want me to wear, imagine the reaction if I turned up in those clothes in front of everyone who knew me to love orange jumpsuits.” People will think someone influenced me.
> 
> “People do mature in ninja careers very quickly.” There are explanations to cover that.
> 
> “Not overnight.” Came the quick reply. Need time to change back.
> 
> “Better the truth overnight than lies over a couple of weeks.”
> 
> “We’re ninja, lies are in our job description.” Don’t make me change.
> 
> “You’ve been genin for 5 minutes, you can be excused the lying part.” You are going to change.
> 
> “But I’m good at it!” 
> 
> “Not so good that I didn’t pick it up.” Tough.
> 
> “You’re a Jonin. You don’t count.” Was the boy sulking? Kakashi was amused.
> 
> “Come on Naruto, I’ll drag you around town until we find some better ninja attire.” 
> 
> (Kakashi is using the opportunity to get Naruto out of that jumpsuit as well)
> 
> “Ehhh!!!??”
> 
> “…You know as we have been talking about…” Kakashi eye smiled down at him and flipped a kunai so it cut through the ropes. “I don’t care if you wear that jumpsuit outside our team time but while we’re working as a team, you will wear suitable attire.” I don’t care if you act to the rest of the village, with the team you won’t.
> 
> “Shouldn’t you be saying that to Sakura too?” Yup definitely sulking. 
> 
> “She doesn’t have the same problem as you.” With that Kakashi picked up Naruto, tucked him under one arm and walked off reading his book while Naruto screamed bloody murder. She isn't hiding beneath a mask.

……………………  
Kakashi strolled in a ninja wares shop, waved lazily at the owner and made for the back where the clothes were.

“Sensei you can put me down now…” Naruto grouched.

Kakashi hummed, “See anything you like?” Naruto looked around, craning his neck.

“Where’s the orange…?”

His sensei grimaced under his mask and reluctantly strode down another aisle way. Wonderful miraculous orange!

“Discreet Naruto…discreet…We’re ninja not thugs.”

Naruto shrugged. He didn’t particularly care about being discreet but the jacket he wanted, the one that Jiraiya gave him, was somewhere scattered in Fire country. So if he didn’t care about new clothes, sue him.

“Fine, that dark orange top and that black shorts.” Kakashi actually stopped dead, very surprised at how easy it was to get Naruto to agree to be more discreet.

“That’s it?” He asked cautiously. “No brighter shades of orange? No more protests?”

“It’s the only one with the Uzumaki spiral on the back.” Came the reply. Kakashi nodded grimly. He grabbed the top and two others which he gave Naruto absolutely no choice in, the shorts and another pair before dumping Naruto and all of the clothes in front of the owner. Naruto caught a flash of blue out of the corner of his eye and remembered the nervous boy in dark blue he had taken pity on and whispered teamwork to. He wondered if his team had passed or failed following the hint.

“Sorry Mister we don’t accept children as payment for merchandise.” Came the respectful reply. Naruto pouted at the girl and turned away, she fought the urge to remain indifferent and smile.

She priced it all and Naruto paid for them while Kakashi surveyed some of the basic trapping scrolls.

“Put these on my tab.” He called out carelessly to the girl when walking out still with Naruto under one arm.

“Sensei? We’re done right?”

“Nope.”

“…Why?”

“Who am I Naruto?”

“Kakashi sensei?”

“Who are you Naruto?”

“…Naruto Uzumaki??”

“And together what do we make?”

“…Half of team 7?”

Kakashi eye smiled at him, “Exactly.” And carried on walking.

“What. Where are you taking me anyway?

“Do you know how long it took me to break into your home?”

“Why were you breaking into my home in the first place!?” Naruto yelled in alarm. His drawings of the future were there! Had Kakashi done this in the previous timeline??

“Oh come on Naruto, I get a genin team, first course of action is information gathering.”

“So you broke into my house!!?”

Kakashi adopted a long suffering tone, “I didn’t see much. Just your milk. And it wasn’t as much breaking in as strolling in. We are going to sort out your traps before some mercenary comes and slits your throat for being my student.”

“Oh...Is that likely to happen?” Naruto sounded nervous. Kakashi didn’t blame him.

“You need all the help you can get.” Kakashi muttered under his breath. Hopefully this would help him come to a judgement on the blond. Then louder, “Yes.” The finality of his voice stopped all conversation between sensei and student. 

Naruto was thinking furiously. “Hey are Sakura and Sasuke going to be alright?” He was pretty sure in the past, this hadn’t happened. Or had it and he hadn’t noticed? Or maybe it had happened when he was on missions!? Oh God Kakashi was going to make him paranoid now.

Kakashi smiled under his mask, “Sasuke has a clan compound to himself. The seals and protections on that will keep any intruders out as you should very well remember.” Naruto didn’t but didn’t comment, “Sakura…I’m getting Anko to talk to her.”

“What??” It slipped out before Naruto could stop himself.

Kakashi carried on walking, “Oh you’ve heard of her.” The voice was mild and bored.

Danger signs went off in Naruto’s head. Uh oh.

“Who hasn’t?” he scoffed hoping that Kakashi would buy that lie. Kakashi walked into his apartment building and took the stairs two at a time. Kakashi supposed it could be true, after all Naruto had spent a lot of time around shinobi when younger.

“She is rather hard to forget.” Kakashi agreed and Naruto silently breathed out in relief. They stopped in front of his apartment and Kakashi dropped him unceremoniously. Naruto managed to stop himself from falling flat on his face and sent a withering look at his sensei.

“What? You want me to open the door when you just admitted you can break in?”

“It is good manners after all.” Kakashi smoothly admitted.

Naruto shook his head muttering and opened the door. His familiar apartment gazed back at him, he could not prevent a smile from crossing his face. It had the familiar smell of home.

“Naruto it stinks of wet leaves.” The smile turned a little strained.

“This is the Hidden Leaf.” He snapped back, “Forgive me for showing some village loyalty.” Oh dear, he just realised he was treating Kakashi as he had back in the past/future? Right Kakashi was his new sensei now, he couldn’t treat him like a friend. A sense of sadness washed over him, he’d have to work hard to get all his old friendships back to how he wanted them. Thankfully Kakashi just chuckled. God he’d have to watch out for how he treated people.

“Right, here’s how to make traps, how to make delay traps and basic sealing traps.” Kakashi just handed him three scrolls suddenly while inspecting his plants. Oh… joy… his teaching skills had not improved one iota. “Try and figure them out, however try to figure them out before you get killed in your bed one night hmm?” He remembered talking to Kankuro after the meeting of the five kage about traps and chakra string uses and he thought that it was doable after all. He had survived last time after all!

“Okay.” Naruto said agreeably, “I don’t want to die. Want any juice sensei?” He quite obligingly went into the kitchen. Kakashi worked fast. He bit his thumb and very quietly summoned Shiba, motioned for him to be quiet and very quietly explained what he wanted Shiba to do. Shiba nodded and prowled around the other rooms. Naruto came in seconds after Shiba’s tail went out of sight.

“Did you want juice? You never answered.”

“It’s fine Naruto, you probably should get working on those traps. I’ll see you tomorrow at the same place, same time.” He shunshinned out, Shiba using the smoke cover to sneak into the other room having searched one already. Naruto blinked. First Kakashi dragged him everywhere and didn’t want to leave…then he just left without much warning. Strange man.

Kage bunshin. 

The three clones took the scrolls and began to work on them chattering away. Naruto sat down at the table and rubbed his temple. He needed a plan of action. He couldn’t just keep making things up. Things really started going to hell after the Chunin exams. Oh he had to find a way to warn the Hokage about that. He slammed his head against the table. He was a front line combatant, not an undercover agent! He had no idea how to do this! Too much had happened and most of them were inter related. If he changed one thing it could end up having disastrous consequences.

“Kurama?” He called in the depths of his mind sewer. “What’s wrong?”

“What did you call me?” the rumbling voice sounded stunned.

“Kurama of course. It’s your name after all.” Naruto clambered over to the cage where he could just make out deep blood red fur in the darkness. Muscles shifted and there was a sense of the darkness itself moving as the fox’s face came eye to eye with Naruto. A brilliant amber eye, the size of Naruto, seized him up.

“…Where did you learn that name?” the fox demanded angrily. Hot gusts blew over Naruto’s face as the blood lust in the cavern exploded.

“Come off the blood lust,” Naruto sighed, “You haven’t done that in so long. Son told me. Guess you didn’t make it back.”

“What...Where did you even meet that monkey?? What do you mean ‘back’?” The fox sounded like he didn’t have the slightest clue what was going on.

Naruto sat down crossing his legs, “Ahh you might want to get comfortable for this. I met Son when he ate me when I was trying not to die against several Jinchuuriki.”

“…If you don’t start explaining properly in the next five seconds I will flood your coils with so much energy, it’ll put you in a hospital bed for days.” The fox warned.

“I’m from the future Kurama, to cut a long story short, and apparently you aren’t.” Naruto frowned, “This is troublesome, I was hoping for your help.”

“Why would I help you?” The fox spluttered, “All you humans are the same, always wanting my power and wanting to lock me up!!”

“We were friends in the future Kurama. Like Octopops and Gyuki.” Naruto stared back at the fox dead serious, “I never got the chance to tackle some of your hatred. I have a whole lifetime to try again.”

“Prove to me you are from the future and that I shouldn’t disregard your words as elaborate traps to get my power.” The fox snarled, hot rancid breath wafting over Naruto.

“Shukaku, Matatabi, Isobu, Son Goku, Kokuo, Saiken, Chomei, Gyuki, Kurama. Learning all those hard names paid off in the end.” Naruto grinned impishly up at the demon fox. “They told me themselves, well except yours, Son told me yours.”

“When he ate you.” Kurama sounded a little faint.

“Oh I got better! You helped me free them all from Obito’s control! After that battle I let you out and we were partners for the rest of the war, oh and I met your Yang self.”

The fox face palmed. “Explain from the start. What happened, when, how and why…wait what? You let me out?”

“Well yeah we are a two man beast cell team! We kicked ass by the way since you don’t know.”

“I’m sure.” The fox said dryly, “Now explain.”

It was a very, very, very long explanation later that the story wrapped up and Kurama had the picture of what was going to happen.

Naruto looked up at Kurama beseechingly, “Do you believe me?”

“Kid, shouldn’t you have asked me that when you said you were from the future?” The fox snarked, “Yes I do, the names you gave me was sufficient proof. I don’t see why I should help though.”

“But we’re friends! Friends help each other out!”

“How have you helped me out?”

“We went to war to protect you and Gyuki!”

“Kid you just dumped all of this on me. Give me some time to think! Everything you did I don’t know about, I need time to make decisions. Go away, I’ve heard your voice enough for one day. Come back later.” A tail flicked past the bars and hit Naruto hard enough so that he flew backwards and ended up falling out of his chair in his apartment.

“Boss, you ok?” One of his clones called out.

“Yeah I’m fine.” He called back. Well Kurama was still as testy as ever, he chuckled.

…wait…

Genjutsus only didn’t work on him if he was friendly with Kurama. Damn! At this point he wasn’t so it could be a genjutsu making him think he time travelled! How many days had it been? Almost two since he’d been back. It could be Tsukuyomi! Wait…the moon eye plan had been implemented. What if…this was his dream, his fake reality?? But he had been under a susano’o, was he really sure moonlight couldn’t penetrate a susano’o? Or that after when Kaguya had appeared, he hadn’t been caught? What if his body was sleeping right now as Sasuke, Kakashi and Sakura fought Kaguya! They wouldn’t stand chance without both him and Sasuke sealing her! Great, now he had three options on what was happening.

1) Kaguya caught him in Tsukuyomi  
2) Kaguya caught him in Infinite Tsukuyomi  
3) Or he really was back in time

The first one was easy enough to check. He just had to wait another day and it would break. Second one was…frankly impossible to check. Third one was also impossible to check. He sat back with a groan and banged his head against the table. …Wait his dream wasn’t to have another chance at saving the world by going back in time…it was to be Hokage and have everyone he cared about alive. Well everyone was alive here but he wasn’t Hokage. Wait! How could old man Hokage be alive and Naruto be Hokage in Infinite Tsukuyomi? Was this the genjutsu’s way of compromising? Oh wait …there was retirement…again for the old man. Naruto breathed a sigh of relief, it wasn’t Infinite Tsukuyomi. The other two options were fine for the mean while.

Meanwhile Shiba had found the bundled up drawings of the future and was looking in vague interest at some of the pictures. He grabbed a couple of them in his mouth, retied the bundle and dispelled himself.

Naruto lifted his head up quizzically and the sound of smoke dissipating. He should know, how many Kage bunshins had he dispelled? There was an intruder. He motioned for the clones to guard the exits while he snuck near the doorway closest to the sound. Did Kakashi sensei jinx him with the talk of mercenaries?

Kage bunshin.

He sent in a clone first then got the memories as it dispelled due to it not seeing anything except for some smoke. Smoke. What techniques used smoke? Shunshin, henge, Kawarimi, summoning he thought that was it. Out of those Shunshin was most likely. But the intruder had to have come in after Kakashi sensei left or Kakashi would have sensed him. He hadn’t thought he was so bad at sensing that he missed someone sneaking past him and into his room! He looked at what was out of place and almost had a heart attack. His drawings! The bundle looked thinner! He snapped it open to see the damage done and gritted his teeth to see that several pictures were missing.

Damn. It was being such a good day as well.

…………………………..

Kakashi summoned Shiba at his leisure a while later. He materialised with a muffled bark.

“Yo, find anything interesting?”

“Mmmgrrmmwruffmff”

Kakashi kindly took the bundle of papers out from Shiba’s mouth.

“Thanks Boss, this was some of the few interesting things there. Everything else was normal except for the amount of ramen. Sheesh boss, packets like you wouldn’t believe.”

Kakashi chuckled, gave the dog a biscuit and dispelled him. He sat back down to examine the documents. He uncurled them and to his surprise they were pictures in pencil and crayon. He didn’t feel bad for stealing from his student, maybe this would motivate Naruto into making some better traps. 

A man…with two tentacles? A red headed boy with the kanji for love? A spiralling orange mask? The moon? Kakashi sighed. Shiba had just picked up some childish scribbling which he mistook for important… His ninken needed more training.

…………………….

The Hokage sat in front of his desk puffing on his pipe. The Jonin milled around chatting until the break finished. The popular gossip this time was which teams had passed or failed, the poor Jonin needed some entertainment which wouldn’t result in wide spread destruction. Kakashi slipped through the crowd and met up with his usual group.

“My eternal rival graces us with his presence!” Gai bellowed out, the light sparkling off his teeth.

Genma just raised a hand in greeting, “Yo.” Ibiki inclined his head while Asuma and Kurenai grunted and smiled respectively.

“You’re here finally.” Ibiki grunted. “The meeting started an hour ago.”

Kakashi smiled under his mask, “Did I miss all the long speeches on duty and joy of teaching?”

“Hell yes you *****” Asuma looked particularly annoyed. As Hokage’s son he’d had to be there for everything. Kurenai tapped her knee thoughtfully, “What are your kids like this time Kakashi?”

Kakashi rubbed his chin sourly, “I got a visionary, an avenger and a fan girl.” There was no need to say anymore. Everyone understood.

Kurenai laughed and Genma chuckled around his senbon.

“I’m sure their flower of youth will blossom if you actually give them a chance!” Gai stressed minutely.

“Like it did for your team?” Kakashi said pseudo mockingly back. 

Gai laughed boomingly, “My dear student Lee has enough youth for the whole team three times over!”

“Speaking of which I heard you got saddled with a genin team this year Ibiki.” Genma drawled wickedly, “How do you think it’ll feel like to hold the brat’s hands through your work station?”

Ibiki chuckled, “I’m sure it’ll be fine. They’ll have Genma sensei too to look up to and annoy.”

“What!?” came the furious reply, “Oh hell no, I am not looking after your brats for any amount of time!”

The Hokage cut everyone off as he stood and tucked away the last document. “Now assembled Jonin, we need to officially recognise successful teams. Potential Jonin sensei line up.”

Kakashi got in line with Genma to his left and Kurenai to his right.

“Gecko Team 1 failed.”

“Team 2 already fielding. Hyuuga Team 3 failed.”

“Nara. Team 4 failed.”

“Morino. Team 5 passed.” Slight murmurings.

“Akimichi. Team 6 failed.”

“Hatake. Team 7 passed.” The murmuring grew incredulous. Kakashi had actually passed a team! Some of them discretely pinched themselves.

“Yuhi. Team 8 passed.” The murmuring didn’t die down.

“Team 9 already fielding. Sarutobi. Team 10 passed.”

“Shiranui. Team 11 failed.”

“Will all Jonin sensei please step up?” The Hokage ordered. “Rest of you stand down.”

Ibiki, Kakashi, Kurenai and Asuma stepped forward in unison.

“Jonin sensei Ibiki Morino reporting.” Ibiki said sharply, “Team 5 consisting of Yamara Hoshino, Shishui Ryusaki and Kigura Miyake. They passed the mirror test in the end. Most likely an infiltration/interrogation team.” He stepped back.

“Jonin sensei Kakashi Hatake reporting.” Kakashi reported, the bored tone gone, “Team 7 consisting of Sasuke Uchiha, Naruto Uzumaki and Sakura Haruno. They passed the bell test in the second stage. Most likely a front line combat team.”

“Jonin sensei Kurenai Yuhi reporting.” Kurenai spoke calmly, “Team 8 consisting of Hinata Hyuuga, Kiba Inuzuka and Shino Aburame. They passed the maze test satisfactorily. Most likely a tracking/recon team.”

“Jonin sensei Asuma Sarutobi reporting.” Asuma said crisply, “Team 10 consisting of Shikamaru Nara, Ino Yamanaka and Choji Akimiji. They passed the sun test efficiently. Most likely a capture/interrogation team.”

“4 teams out of 9.” The Hokage murmured pressing his fingers together, “We have a good crop this year. Dismissed all of you, look after the next generation of the leaf with pride and dignity.”

“You actually passed a team Kakashi.” Genma raised both eyebrows, “The kids must be something special.”

Kakashi rolled his eye good naturedly, “Can I help it the genin are always too scared of me to flout my orders?”

The Jonin all shared a chuckle remembering the screams of terror and loud banging from training ground 7 from the previous years.

………………… 

The next morning when Naruto tumbled into Training ground 7 for their first day as a team, Sakura and Sasuke double taked. The orange jumpsuit was gone, leaving a dark orange shirt and black shorts rather like Sasuke’s. When Naruto’s hair was messed up and he was yawning like a cat, the boy looked adorable.

“G’morning Sakura, Sasuke.” Naruto got out between yawns.

“Good morning.” Sakura nodded.

“Hn.” Sasuke allowed.

“It is isn’t it?” Naruto said agreeably well versed in Uchiha grunting.

“Hn”

“Really? I preferred yesterday’s myself.”

“…Hn.”

“Each to their own I suppose.” Naruto shrugged ignoring Sakura’s incredulous look. “Hey wanna spar before Kakashi gets here?”

“Kakashi sensei kid.” A voice corrected from the bushes. The three of them turned to see…a dog walking out with a note tucked into its collar.

“…A talking dog.” Sakura repeated slowly, “Am I imagining things?”

The dog huffed, “I’m a ninken! Didn’t they teach about summonings at the academy puppy?”

“Puppy?” Sakura mouthed.

“You’re sensei’s ninken then.” Sasuke spoke, “Does he have a message for us?”

“Yup, puppies gather around. I’m Pakkun and here is the note.” He held out the note between two claws to Naruto who took it delicately.

“Yo my cute little genin” he read out loud, “Your job is to track me down to receive training. Good luck. ^.\\\”

This definitely hadn’t happened before. Naruto grinned. This was great! He didn’t even need to do anything to get more training.

“There’s more on the back dobe.” Sasuke said suddenly. Naruto flipped it over and groaned.

“PS: Naruto and Sakura will be blindfolded and Sasuke will not talk…or else…” The menacing tone somehow managed to be conveyed through the ink and paper. Pakkun held up two pairs of scarves and some bandages unsympathetically. Sakura snatched them away. Pakkun’s mouth twitched.

“First day as genin and he does this!” Sakura hissed, “Don’t you agree Sasuke?”

“Hn, it’s better than just teamwork exercises.” Sasuke spoke reluctantly. “Pass me the bandage… This is completely stupid, he couldn’t have got one other than bright pink?!” Sasuke glared venomously at the offending piece of cloth. “I refuse. I take it back. This is worse than team work exercises.”

Naruto coughed, “Do you want to go tell Kakashi that while we hunt for a nice spot for your grave?”

Sasuke glared at him before slamming them around his mouth and performing a henge very quickly. Sakura and Naruto shared a resigned look, their first in years, and quickly tied the blindfolds around their eyes. Complete blackness. Would be scary but hay he lived through a war.

“Now what do we do? We can talk but can’t see, Sasuke can see but can’t talk. Trading information is going to be hell.” Naruto mused out loud.

“Mmmghhhfmuh?”

“Sasuke that isn’t going to work.” Sakura said hesitantly.

“Use your grunts Teme.” Naruto said suddenly, “I can understand them pretty well.”

Sasuke sighed, “Hn hnn hn …hn?”

“He’s asking if we know the leaf silent talking.” Naruto told Sakura. Sasuke didn’t say anything so he assumed it was correct. Pakkun snorted with laughter.

“That’s the one with fingers tapping right? No, you?”

“No.” Naruto sighed, “I do know some Morse if that helps?”

“Hn.”

“A bit, the basics, nothing more than that.” Sakura sighed.

“Hn hn hnn hn...hn hn hnnn hn.”

“Err you two are idiots, why am I on a team with you? This is working fine with Naruto translating me to Sakura.” Naruto cocked his head and translated. “I can’t understand everything you say Teme, remember that. But it could work.”

“How can you understand Sasuke so well?” Sakura asked curiously.

Because I was on his team for months was his mental reply. “Err the Uchiha police used to look after me when I was younger.” It was true….kind of. He felt Sasuke stiffen ahead of him and kicked himself. “They were good people.” He continued. Sasuke stalked ahead, dark intentions rolling off him like mist. Man Naruto had his own radar now going by Sasuke’s killing intent. 

“Sooo plan. How do we track down Kakashi sensei?” He said cheerily.

“Ask his friends? Check his haunts.”

“Hn…hn.”

“That is a good idea…grab him.” Pakkun was laughing so hard that he didn’t even notice the Uchiha sneaking close and scooping him up and holding him so he couldn’t struggle.

“Hey, hey puppies! This is against the rules! Put me down!!”

“Right after you lead us to Kakashi sensei” Naruto could practically hear the sharp smile in Sakura’s words. 

“Puppies…I’m warning you…”

“Pakkun,” Naruto cut in, “You lead us to Kakashi sensei we’ll get you some nice roast beef. All warm and crackled and juicy.” Hehheh advantages of being from the future. Pakkun whined in consideration.

“I’ll give you a clue puppies but you owe me that beef mind!” 

“Fine.” Sakura agreed, “What is the clue?”

“He’s not where he usually is. Goodbye puppies, get Kakashi to summon me for my beef! Maybe I’ll even let you touch my paw…if you’re good.” Pakkun dispelled himself chuckling evilly in a way only dogs can.

“How on earth is that helpful!!?” Sakura screamed.

“Hn.” Sasuke agreed darkly.

“Pwahahahaha.” Naruto agreed.

“What’s so funny Naruto?” Sakura asked baffled losing all of her wind.

“Oh my god that was epic! I have to do that one day! Ok cross these places off the list. Memorial stone…that’s it.”

“That leaves the rest of Konoha you baka!!” Sakura shrieked apparently having found her wind again.

“Hn hn hnn hn!”

Naruto thought for a bit, “If you two are quite done, we can go ask some Jonin I think that was where sensei is? Was that right?”

“Hn.”

“Okay Sasuke which way? This way?” Sakura started walking.

“No!” and “Hn!” were done at the same time, “Sakura! You’re going to crash into the stumps!”

Sakura froze, “Ahh thanks guys.”

“Hn hn ….hn hn ..hn”

“Turn around 50 metres forward, turn left, 25 m, third on the right, 10 m, 2nd left, 30 m, turn clockwise…slow down Teme!”

“Hn!”

“Oh sorry second on the right! Geez.”

Sasuke sighed in irritation before grabbing each of their arms and dragging them along the route not caring if they stumbled or tripped or even dragged along the dust. He wanted training dammit.

“Sasuke! Please a little more careful!”

“Temeeeeeee! Go faaaster!!” Naruto was gleeful, Sasuke was going the work and he could relax. Ahh sweet laziness…maybe Shikamaru had infected him more than he thought? His dream ended roughly as he dumped unceremoniously in front of a very noisy …very smelly place.

“Did you bring us to a bar?” He asked seconds before Sakura.

“Hn.”

“He says obviously.” Naruto grouched.

“Where are we?” Sakura asked brushing off her dress.

“Hhhnn.”

“Naruto?”

“Yeah…I got no clue.” 

They stepped in cautiously. Sakura and Naruto using their feet to scout ahead. Their ears were ringing from the noise so they were pretty much helpless. Sasuke just grabbed them and dragged them in again. They walked in.

“Yeah so I tell her-” 

“Mate you need to get-”

“And it goes KABOOM-”

“I have this excellent new toy…heyyy is that Cyclops’s team!? Yoo hoo! Brats! Over here!”

“Who is that?” Sakura hissed, “She sounds loud.”

Naruto was trying very hard not to break out crying, “That’s Anko.” He hissed loud enough for Sasuke to hear too. “She’s crazy. The minute you see her reach for a kunai, duck!”

“Hn?”

“I know because I’m awesome dammit! Now stop questioning me!” Naruto hissed.

There was a whoosh of air in front of them. By Sasuke’s stiffening and the sudden smell of wet snakes Naruto guessed Anko had flickered in front of them out of patience. What was that? 10 seconds? New record possibly?

“Brats! I am the super sexy and single Anko Mitarashi! And you must be the old geezer’s team!”

“Like the dango?” Sakura ventured timidly.

“Exactly like the dango! The food of the gods!” Anko literally drooled over the thought of her dango. “You a fellow dango fan pinky? Why on earth are you and blondie blindfolded? You broody, answer me!”

“Hn.”

“He says he would love to but he can’t at the minute.” Naruto helpfully provided. Sasuke growled and started moving frantically. His best guess? Anko had grabbed him and smooshed their cheeks together.

“Aww is big bad Kakashi being mean to the poor little genin?”

“I do like dango yes.” Sakura finally answered the question.

“Wahey!” From Sasuke’s alarmed grunt he had been tossed aside roughly. Good let him know how that feels. “With me Pinky!” And so Sakura was dragged away screaming. And Naruto was completely lost. Too much noise, too many scents and for god’s sake could he find some sane person who didn’t stink of alcohol? Oooh silence from a corner on his far left. He would have killed for sage mode as he tripped/clattered his way over knocking into barstools, tables, and people. A few kind shinobi set him on the right path but a few mean ones just spun him around laughing. Finally he collapsed in front of what he thought was the table of silence.

“…Hi?” He tried weakly.

“Hello.” A slightly amused baritone replied. Ibiki his mind provided.

“Ah mister do you know where Kaka sensei is?” He tried to employ his puppy dog eyes no jutsu even with the blindfold but he suspected he miserably failed.

“No.”

“Seriously no idea where he could be?”

“No.”

“But you’re his friend?”

“Shinobis don’t have friends.”

“Eternal rival?”

“Do I sound like Gai to you brat?”

“Pleaseeeee.”

“Brat I really have no idea.”

“Okay can you tell me his usual haunts?”

“Why?”

“We’re trying to track him down but I lost my team mates to some wild predators.” He shrugged.

“Hmm. Ask Gai, he usually has a radar for his eternal rival. God knows Kakashi has complained about it so many times.” 

“Know where Gai could be?”

“Training field 9 or anywhere on the dirt track around Konoha. Just stand still and you’ll eventually hear him. Now leave me in peace!”

“Ok thanks mister!”

“Hmm.”

“Oh wait! Can you point me in the direction of my team mates?”

“Two and Eight O clock.”

“Thanks! Owwwww.” Naruto’s head smashed into a shinobi’s sword.

“Sorry kid.”

“Hayate, stop braining defenceless genin.” Came an amused female voice as Naruto staggered away.

“I’m fine…I’m fine…really.” He murmured as he tracked Sasuke by his killer intent. He came to a halt beside his angry team mate.

“Sasuke we need to leave.”

“Hn!”

“Yes I am telling you! Now where’s Sakura?”

“Hn.” Sasuke dragged Naruto over.

“Oww is that your default mode or something?”

“…”

“Sakura?” He hissed.

“Go away! I am talking to my new apprentice!” Anko hit him over the head. He saw stars instantly. “Ooooh pwetty lights…”

“Sasuke save me!” squeaked Sakura.

“You know I could save you just fine?” Naruto slurred from the floor. “I think I’m getting drunk off the fumes Hehheh.” 

Sasuke shot him an alarmed look. His dad had regaled both him and that man with tales for years about a drunk bloody red Habanero. Knowing his luck the woman and his team mate would end up being related. Property damage did not begin to cover it.

From Sakura’s squeak, Naruto guessed Anko had hugged her tight.

“You can’t have my new apprentice. She’s adorable!”

“Hn hn hn.”

“I agree with him, you are drunk.”

“Of course I’m drunk brats! I’m at a bar!”

“We’ll trade you.” Naruto said suddenly, “We’ll talk Kakashi into letting Sakura hang out with you, in return you release Sakura to us.”

“I can do that myself maggots. Why do I need your help?”

“Hn hn hnnn.”

“What he said.”

“What did he say? I’m not fluent in Uchiha.” Anko admitted.

“Kakashi will run in the opposite direction if he sees you coming.” Naruto lied through his teeth. Hey he was a shinobi, he could do that. Hey Kakashi had told him he wanted Sakura and Anko to talk, this just got two objectives done at the same time; three if you counted his.

“That is true.” Anko murmured, “Fine I give you Cherry chan and you get Kakashi to agree.”

“Done.” Naruto announced and there was a brief fumble as a blind genin and a drunk jonin tried to shake hands. Sakura was promptly released.

“Remember maggots I will…be watching…” Anko loomed before flickering away.

“NARUTO!!” Sakura punched him. “What did you just so!?” There was a hysterical note in her voice.

“Ah Cherry chan…oww I mean Sakura,” Naruto backed up slowly as Sasuke huffed in amusement, “I got you loose…”

“And told her I would study under her!” Sakura shrieked, “Are you insane?”

“Hn.”

“See even Sasuke agrees she’s strong. You’ll get wicked awesome in no time Cherry chan. Oww! Stop hitting me! What did she talk to you about anyway?”

“Naruto you idiot! Mostly uses of poisons, BAKA!! Dango flavours, I can’t believe you did that! How to kill someone with a dango stick.” Even Sasuke looked a bit disturbed at that one.

“See you’ll be an awesome kunoichi. You can’t learn how to be a kunoichi from Kaka sensei…please stop hitting me?” He squeaked.

“Fine.” Sakura grudgingly stopped. “I suppose she is confident and strong.” Sasuke coughed into his fist. 

“Hn hhn.”

“Yes! I do have a plan. We have to find Gai sensei, he should know where Kaka sensei is.  
”  
“Know where he should be?”

“Yeah training ground 9 or on the dirt track around Konoha. Don’t worry it’s easy to track him.”

“Why?”

“You know the background shouting you always drown out? It’s him.”

“Oh wow.”

“Sasuke lead the way.”

“Hn!”

“You kind of are our delivery service Sasuke.”

“Cherry chan you can understand him!”

“…”

………………..

Kakashi meanwhile was having fun rifling through the Academy’s records.

“Ahh Mister Hatake what are you looking for?” And confusing the cute chunin teacher of course.

“Maa anything and everything.” He pulled out records from the very start of his student’s school lives.

Iruka looked so baffled, “If you want records on Sakura, Sasuke and Naruto, I do have them all categorised in a separate folder.”

Kakashi froze. “Why…?”

“I do it for every genin team just in case. It finally paid off.”

Kakashi leapt to his feet noting he was about a head taller than the teacher. What? He analysed everyone. It didn’t mean anything.

“You…are amazing.” He eye smiled and let the baffled teacher lead him to the huge stacks of folders. 

“Mister Hatake I sent a copy to your house.” Kakashi’s mind stopped. A chunin knew where he lived! Why? How? How had he missed the delivery?? What if other people found out where he lived!? Oh yeah he was camping over at Genma’s until the blood from the latest assassin got out of the walls. That explained why the chunin was so confused.

“How did you?”

“I asked Mister Maito to drop it off.” His mind stopped coming up with gruesome scenarios. The Chunin turned big innocent eyes to him, which really hid a sneaky evil manipulative personality Kakashi was sure, no one was that nice.

“Ah.”

“How are they?”

“Eh? They’re fine. On a training exercise at the minute.”

“Oh good.” The chunin pulled out a heavy folder. Kakashi eyed it in trepidation, “Why is it so big?”

“Blame Naruto.” The chunin said dryly, “There’s Sasuke’s psych evaluations too. Sakura was the golden girl.”

Kakashi took the folder and flicked through it and grimaced. 

“Ahh Mister Hatake-”

“Kakashi,” he interrupted, “We’re fellow shinobi here.”

“Ah…Kakashi my class is coming in? You want a seat at the back?” Gods the man sounded so nervous talking so casually to him.

He considered, “Why not? Can’t make it too hard for them.” He plopped down in one of the undersized chairs, his feet splayed out as he spread documents over the tiny table. He could use the chance to evaluate the academy. He told himself very firmly he wasn’t watching the Chunin. 

Tiny brats filtered in. They were even smaller than his kids, they were so cute at that age he mused. Very not covered in blood and mud and very not jaded from killing too early. A Hyuuga flounced up to him.

“You’re in my seat.” She told him primly who had to fight back a laugh.

“Maa I don’t see a seat.” He looked around teasingly.

“You’ve covered it with your papers and body.” The girl hissed.

“You mean my seat? Finders keepers.”

The tiny Hyuuga stomped her tiny foot, “But it had my name on it.” He turned around and sure enough there was a neat Hanabi Hyuuga sticker on it. He produced a pen from his pocket, showed the kid and proceeded to write his name next to hers. 

“There it’s got my name on it now.” He eye smiled at her who looked aghast.

“You can’t do that!” She pouted.

“Hanabi sit down.” Iruka barked from the front, “Take the seat next to Konohamaru.” The girl glared at him and stomped off. He waved cheekily at her back before turning his attention back to the documents. He cast a light genjutsu on them to stop the kids from seeing what he was doing.

Sakura:…very good chakra control…good for genjutsu, really? Maybe when she wasn’t so obsessed over Sasuke. Excellent theory…maybe he could push her down the fuinjutsu route? Less than average stamina, speed and endurance…Gai…was his solution to everything…even though it disturbed him greatly. Personality…avid fan girl…oh? Rivalry with a Yamanaka, what with?...oh Sasuke again. He was definitely getting Anko to talk with the girl.

“Konohamaru! Put that water balloon down!!” the sensei’s voice brought him back to the classroom just in time to see a chalk missile bounce off a boy’s forehead with unerring accuracy and power. The boy yelped and rubbed at it.

“But Iruka sensei!”

“Pay attention to the board! You will need to know how to do the Henge!”

“Yes sensei.” The boy slumped down but the mischievous twinkle didn’t die down. He felt sorry for the poor chunin. Naruto just left and Konohamaru arrived.

“Okay since some of you obviously understand, line up! We’ll try to do the henge again.”

The children grumbled and shot glares at Konohamaru who just laughed them off. Kakashi’s lips twitched, if he read the boy correctly this would be an amusing experience.

“Who should we try to do sensei?” A girl piped up.

Iruka just nodded at Kakashi. Everyone turned to look in unison. Kakashi just waved and smiled.

“He’s so strange.” A boy complained.

“It’ll give you practice with unusual people.” Iruka retorted.

…Thanks sensei…Kakashi went dryly in his head.

The first few attempts were dreadful. Kakashi just looked back down to avoid himself the humiliation and pain his image was going through at the hands of the children.

Sasuke:…top in all of his classes…no surprise there. Oh wait he was second in two. Trap making and history, taken by Naruto and Sakura respectively. Hmm interesting. Maybe he should nudge Sasuke down the medical route…if he could spin it to sound like he’d have a better chance against Itachi. Yes that idea had merit, it would hopefully thaw him out saving lives and tie him to Konoha more…excellent stamina, speed and power…didn’t really tell him anything…personality…brooding…was that the best word they had for it? 

The Hyuuga girl’s voice jerked his attention back.

“Henge!” A picture perfect henge of Kakashi. He was somewhat impressed with the way she had arranged the crinkles in his clothing to read out I am a jerk.

“Very good Hanabi!” Iruka said approvingly. “Next.”

Konohamaru stepped up. “Get ready sensei!”

Both Kakashi and Iruka felt the same foreboding of doom at the same time.

“HENGE!!”

The smoke cleared to reveal a pretty brown haired girl cooing at Iruka sensei with the smoke in strategic places only to scream in outrage when Iruka had his back firmly turned. The henge dispelled.

Iruka’s voice was strained, “You’re not the first one to pull that on me. And where did you learn such a trick!!!?” He whirled around causing Konohamaru to meep and try to hide. 

Kakashi was very, very, very amused at the antics of both Naruto and Konohamaru. He pitied who ever got Konohamaru in the future as a student.

“NARUTOOO!!” Iruka screamed in frustration, “Even when he’s graduated he’s still causing me grief!!” The girls meanwhile converged on the pale Konohamaru cracking their fists. Kakashi tuned out the sweet sounds of a brawl and went back to his documents.

Naruto:…dead last or near dead last in everything but trap setting…good to see pranking has some benefits…only failed stealth because jumpsuit gave him away…that shouldn’t be a problem anymore…nearly always late…immature…oh a note saying he mastered both henge and Kawarimi…he had seen the henge mastery but not Kawarimi mastery. Excellent endurance, average speed and pitiful execution…oh dear. Personality…grating…how lovely…who wrote this...ah the traitor chunin. If Sakura would be the genjutsu and fuinjutsu person, Sasuke the healer and ninjutsu then Naruto had to do the taijutsu and demolitions? He had a feeling he was making an awful mistake with demolitions but he clamped that down.

He shifted and three sheets fluttered down. He picked them up. Three copies of their ninja registration. A pinkette, raven and redhead…wait what? He flicked to the redhead’s form. Naruto Uzumaki was apparently a red head with pale skin and blue lips. What was it with Naruto and red heads? According to his file he hadn’t shown inclination to this kind of forward thinking at all. So he hid this…why? Did he want to be the dead last to get on Sasuke’s and Sakura’s team? The file did mention a one sided crush on the girl. A crush…he had seen no evidence for. Perhaps he just didn’t want persecution for the Kyuubi…but he didn’t know about the Kyuubi until a few days ago. Ahh the chunin in front of him was there around about the change in Naruto should have taken place. He narrowed his eye at the chunin and saw him fidget slightly before barking out “Next.”

The hunt was on and he didn’t intend to lose.

…………………..

“Hnn.”

“Training round 9. So this is what it sounds like.”

Loud clangs of metal off metal, things whistling through the air, wood cracking, ground tearing, loud voices, thumps and bumps and every so often the tearing of feet.

“I think we found Team 9.” Sakura whispered slightly intimidated.

“Hello?” Naruto called out cheerfully. Lee, Neji and Tenten had been excellent friends in the future, after Neji got his ass handed to him.

“Yosh! We have visitors Gai sensei!” Lee’s voice rang out and the noise didn’t exactly stop, it just toned down slightly. “Are you looking for someone?” Judging from the volume, Lee had jogged up to them and was now directly in front of them.

“Our sensei.” Sakura said calmly, “We were hoping your sensei might be able to help us.”

“You’re Lee right!?” Naruto bounced forward and nearly collided with Lee.

“Yes?”

“It’s great finally meeting you! Naruto Uzumaki, fellow dead last of the year after you, I heard all about you!”

“Yosh! A fellow follower of hard work and youth?!”

“Hard work yeah, youth not so much.”

“Keep at it Naruto! Your youth will blaze to the skies! Who is the youthful flower behind you and the silent boy?”

Naruto pointed in what he hoped was the right direction, “Sakura and Sasuke.”

“Sakura…will you go out with me? I’ll protect you until the day I die!”

Sakura stopped, this time she couldn’t see Lee and therefore couldn’t reject him on his appearance. “Err I have someone l like,” she steeled herself, “I’d rather be able to protect myself on my own abilities.” Talking to Anko who ranted on about weak kunoichis had altered her outlook slightly.

“Great! Tenten here, fellow kunoichi and can I say it is great to meet another serious kunoichi.” A female voice cut in cheerfully and dragged away Sakura, “Let’s talk!”

Lee pouted from the sounds of it. “It’s nice to meet you Sasuke.” He said politely, “How does your youth do?”

“Hn.”

“Don’t take it personally, he can’t talk at the minute.” Naruto intervened quickly, “He says it’s nice to meet you back.” Sasuke hadn’t but a white lie never hurt anyone.

“Ohh! A training exercise, that is so youthful! And you thought Gai sensei could track down his eternal rival?!

“Exactly.” Naruto grinned.

“Asking for help is a weak thing to do.” Neji’s voice smoothly cut in, “However it isn’t a surprise you need the help, maybe it is your fate.”

“You are…?”

“Neji Hyuuga.”

“Nice to meet you.” Naruto said politely. Oh great this Neji still had his fate obsession, “Is it really fate when you don’t know what else could have happened?”

“Nothing else could have happened.” Neji returned calmly, “That is why it is fate.”

“Ahhh Kakashi’s youthful students! Hello!” A deeper voice boomed out. “What brings you here?”

“Gai sensei?” Naruto asked seeing that Sakura had been effectively hauled off somewhere again and Sasuke was probably too busy rechecking his eyes to greet the man.

“Yosh! It is I. How can I help you?”

“Gai sensei! They were wondering if you could tell them where Kakashi sensei was!” Lee burst out.

“Of course! My eternal rival is always on my radar of youth!...Academy, Classroom 3E. Back seat.”

Team 7 stared at him. They had not expected when he said radar, he actually meant radar!

“Thanks.” Naruto strangled out. “That is amazing by the way, can you teach us?”

“Eternal rival secret I’m afraid!”

“Damn.”

“Thanks we’ll just go now.” Sakura fell over trying to get back to her team. Tenten guided her back kindly, “Thanks.”

“Sasuke! Forward march!”

“Hn hn hhn hnn..hn.”

Sakura giggled, “You can rip his head off later Sasuke, we need him for training.”

“Good bye youthful comrades!” Lee’s goodbye resonated in all their ears before the noisy team started back up again.

Sasuke grabbed his team mates and began to drag them in the academy’s direction. If he didn’t move Naruto out of the way of a stone, it certainly wasn’t his fault.

……………………

Kakashi lounged in his seat. He put his feet up on the desk ignoring the disapproving look of the chunin. Teachers…so rigid…all of them. That’s why he resolved to be the laziest and most easy going teacher he could be unless he got annoyed of course or he wanted to drum a lesson in his kid’s heads. On paper he had one of the most mismatched teams in history. In reality it was probably true. He was going to get grey hairs with this team, he was sure.

Suddenly the door banged open and his cute genin all tumbled in a pile. Sasuke’s muffled grunts drowned out by Sakura’s shriek. Naruto immediately turned his head in Kakashi’s direction. Sensor?

“Hey! We found you.” He said happily only to get yanked up by the ear by Iruka sensei. “Iruka sensei! Haven’t seen you in forever!”

“Naruto.” Iruka whispered deathly calm, “You graduated. Why are you back and disturbing my class?” Naruto pointed directly at him. Yup definitely a sensor.

“Hnn hn hn!”

“What he said!” Sakura groaned as she climbed off the genin pile.

“Boss!” Konohamaru exclaimed excitedly. The academy students burst into chatter at this. 

“Konohamaru! Keeping up the good work?”

“Exactly like you would have done boss.”

“Fantastic!”

“My cute little students.” He pitched his voice to carry across the chattering children, “Training exercise complete. You can remove your limitations now.” He eye smiled at the sheer speed they removed them.

“Mister Kakashi. Please take your genin far away from here.” Iruka seemed like he was going to snap any second. “Before they give my students ideas.”

“Good idea.” He told the flustered chunin, “See you later.” He shunshinned out, taking all three of his genin with him. He dumped them all in Training ground 7 as he landed smoothly.

“Sakura mission report.” She scrambled up and began to tell a story. He shook his head and calmly began to coach them how to do a proper report. He had his work cut out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There we go, a nice light hearted chapter. Yup the hint Naruto gave that boy has resulted in another team passing mwahahaha. Sakura’s slowly slowly slowly getting better. Indulge me by reviewing?

**Author's Note:**

> Review to find out what happened next. ^.^  
> Yup Kakashi isn’t going to be as soft on them as he was in canon since he’s annoyed and suspicious. Poor Naruto doesn’t quite understand but meh he will soon.


End file.
